Worlds Crashing Together
by Morak120
Summary: Events lead to two different worlds being created. All focusing on the actions of Naruto. In one world, he has it all. In another, he's still striving to obtain it all. All the while, he is losing himself, and now he must choose. Which world will he stay in? M for swearing, alcohol use, sexual themes and violence. Narusaku, slight Naruhina. Also credit to The Keeper of Worlds.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto: Shippuuden, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

The idea of their being parallel universes, has always been an intriguing one. New universes, branching off based on the choices one makes.

For example, one person by the name of Uzumaki Naruto, has gone through many life changing decisions. Surely, there must be plenty of alternate universes, based on his actions...

But, what if one decision in particular, was enough to completely change his life?

_"W-What did you just say... Sakura-chan?"_

_The pink haired girl, by the name of Haruno Sakura, laughed slightly at his response. Her face was a tinted red, and her eyes were glowing from the falling snow around them. "Honestly, baka... You're really going to make me say it again?"_

_She then looked shyly to the side, before looking back up at him. "I said I love you..."_

_Naruto was frozen, completely flabbergasted by the idea that the woman he had chased after for so long, had turned around to face him. Surely, this couldn't be real._

_Naruto's eyes fully opened at this._

_'Wait...'_

_"A-Are you sure?"_

_Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion, as she folded her arms. "Eh? What do you mean?"_

_Naruto shook his head, as he ran his hand through his hair. "It just... it seems weird that you are suddenly in love with me."_

_The pinkette blinked at this, then smiled. "Ah... I see..." She slowly walked over to him, and did something that struck him to the core. She wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him into a loving embrace. "I used to think that Sasuke-kun was the one for me... But, after all the evil, and cruel things he has done... He's not the same Sasuke-kun that I used to know."_

_Naruto's eyes widened, as he began to put the pieces together, and what her true intention was. She then looked up at him. "You saved us all from Pein... You are a hero. You have done so much for me... You were kind and caring towards me, even when I turned you away... You are everything I could ever ask for." She leaned up slowly toward him._

_"Sakura..."_

_She stopped, as she looked at Naruto, who had a serious look on his face. "Why are you lying to me?"_

_Sakura looked certainly surprised, as she slowly backed up. "L...Lying? Why would I lie to you, Naruto? I just confessed my love to you, for gods sake!" Naruto gritted his teeth, as the pinkette continued. "I don't feel anything for Sasuke-kun anymore! The only one I think about is you!"_

_"STOP LYING!"_

_He then grabs her by the shoulders, and looks her dead in the eye. "I __**HATE **__people who lie to themselves!"_

Sometimes, all it takes is one moment, to change everything.

* * *

Okay! This is something that has actually been on my mind for a while. A moderately short story, having to do with branching universes! It'll only be focusing on two, however. There is more to it than that, but... That would be spoilers, and I don't want to spoil this for you.

This is a prologue chapter. So yeah, tell me what you think so far.

Oh, by the way, there are two pairings in this story. Narusaku, and (Don't kill me) Naruhina. Story reasons.

Also, I was planning for this to be after TLF, but I'm running into serious writers block with that story. So, I'm hoping that this will help me get back into the writing spirit!

Laters.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Credit: The Keeper of Worlds, for helping me put this story together.**

* * *

Naruto's eyes shot open as he sat up in bed, taking deep breaths all the while. He looked around, and sighed slightly in relief, when he saw the peaceful sight. The light purple color walls, not his particular choice, but he could live with it. The smooth wooden floors, and the calm breeze that rushed in from the slightly opened window.

He then looked down at his lap, while he put his hand to his head.

_'That dream again... That hasn't come to mind in years until recently...'_

"Nnn... Naruto-kun?... Are you alright?"

The blonde blinked, before he looked over, and smiled at the sight before him. The young woman sat up from her sleeping position, her long black hair drooped to the side, while she brushed her bangs from her face, revealing her white eyes. It was the Hyuuga heiress, Hinata.

Naruto then gave her a hug. "Yeah, sorry, just a dream."

Hinata looked at him in concern, as she backed away from his hug. "You're not worried about my father, about the wedding, are you?"

Naruto looked down at their engagement rings, and laughed slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'll admit, he sure knows how to scare me into decisions."

The raven haired Hyuuga looked to the side. "Gomen... I'll talk to him about it."

Naruto noticed the sad look on her face, and put his finger under her chin, and moved her head to face him. "Don't worry about it..." He then kissed her, which caused Hinata's entire face to glow red.

She then put her hands on her face, as steam rose from her head. "N-N-Naruto-kun...! Y-You need to stop surprising me like that!"

The blonde laughed, as he got up, and got ready for the day.

As he finished, he looked at the Hyuuga with a thumbs up. "I'll see you tonight, okay Hinata?"

Hinata nodded, as she watched him walk off. "Alright."

Naruto, fully ready for the day, walked down the steps of his house, and walked down the path from his house, to the street. His long jacket started to blow elegantly in the wind. "No rest for the Hokage."

"Ugghhh... Even more paper work than yesterday..."

He started going through the stacks upon stacks of paper work, trying his hardest not to keel over from boredom.

His eyebrow began to twitch, as he worked through it.

_'Come on, you just have to finish this, then go see Hinata and Hiashi-san.'_

"Oi, Naruto."

The blonde was then knocked out of his thoughts, as he looked through the paper work to see Nara Shikamaru. "Oh hey, Shikamaru!"

The black-haired man waved as he walked over to the desk. "Busy as usual, I see?"

Naruto laughed slightly, as he looked through some documents. "You know it." He then set it down, and leaned back in his chair. "How's the team going?"

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, as he scoffed. "Troublesome. But, they're doing good in terms of team work."

Naruto flashed a smile at Shikamaru, as he rested his arms behind his head. "That's good."

Shikamaru then sat in one of the available chairs, and folded his arms. "Tell me, why did you give me this team?"

The rokudaime laughed, as he gave a grin. "Well... Ino recommended that I gave you the most annoying kids to deal with."

The black-haired jounin silently cursed to himself, as he looked to the side. "Of course she did. Apparently being married ain't enough, she's gotta have me work to the bone... Fuck."

Naruto felt sweat trickle down the side of his head, as he let out a chuckle. "I wouldn't let it get to you too much. They are good kids. Just need some work is all."

Shikamaru nodded, as a smirk appeared on his features. "But, speaking of marriage. How's the planning going for you and Hinata?"

Naruto instantly went from smiley to groaning, as he rubbed his temples. "Well, about as well as you'd expect with her scary ass father pressuring decisions on me."

Shikamaru laughed at this, but both blinked, when the door opened, revealing a woman with long pink hair, and wearing a red shirt, and a black skirt. "Hokage-sama. Here are more documents for you."

Naruto's face instantly went formal and business-like, as he nodded toward the woman, and began looking at the documents she placed in front of him. "Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura gave no response, as she walked out, closing the door behind her.

Shikamaru stretched his collar, feeling the tension build every second. "Forgot that she became your assistant."

The blonde didn't look at his lazy friend, he just kept looking at the documents. "Baa-chan insisted when I first stepped up, because Shizune was getting together with Iruka-sensei."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow to this in confusion. "Why? I thought she would've understood better than anyone that you wouldn't have wanted that."

Naruto sighed, as he leaned back in his chair, giving an empty look toward the ceiling. "Probably to try to get me on good terms with her again... Thing is, she shut me out as much as I did her. Not like I'm complaining... She does her job, that's what counts."

He then sat up, looking Shikamaru straight in the eye. "Besides it's been years since that falling out between us in the Iron country."

Naruto then looked down, his face showed confusion. "But... Lately I've had recurring dreams about what happened... And it ended differently than how I remember it..."

Shikamaru raised his eyebrows to this, before he gave a shrug. "Probably just pre-wedding jitters, your mind reflecting on past girls, or... girl in your case. I wouldn't think too much about it."

Naruto gave a nod to his lazy friend. "Yeah. Thanks."

Shikamaru then got up, and walked toward the door. "No problem. Now I better get going, before Ino has a hay day."

Naruto waved his friend off, before looking back down at the documents, and filling them out.

_'He's right. I'm just nervous is all!... Right?'_

"Now Naruto, are you sure you want to go with this? Or do you want to go with Hinata's decision."

Naruto backed away slightly, as he looked at Hiashi in slight terror. Normally, he'd be surprised that anyone who wasn't 'close' to him, wouldn't be using formalities. However, this man was going to be his father in law, there are always exceptions.

"Father...! Why must you do this everytime we make plans?" Naruto looked over in slight relief, as Hinata walked into the room.

Hiashi sighed lowly, as his face instantly relaxed. "My apologies, Hinata. However, this is a once in a life time occasion. You, the heiress to the largest clan in the village, marrying the Rokudaime. I want this to be perfect." It sounded like he was thinking about the clan's image, but, it was definitely clear that he meant it to be perfect for Hinata.

The raven haired girl gave a rather calm smile. "I appreciate that Father, but... I'm sure Naruto has some rather good inputs."

They both look at the blonde, who jumped slightly from being put on the spot. He then looked at the decisions, and it all really looked the same to him. He never was good at planning anything but battle tactics. He then pointed to what seemed to him was the best looking design. "T-That looks good."

The two look at what he was pointing at, and to Hinata's relief, he actually picked a rather good design. Hiashi then nodded. "Alright. I'm rather impressed."

Hours went by, as Naruto stumbled into his house with Hinata. He grumbled lowly, as he hung up his coat, and kicked off his shoes. "So tired... I need sleep..."

Hinata looked over at him, laughing very lightly. "More files than usual at work, I see?"

Naruto could only give a thumbs up, as he went into their bedroom, and collapsed on the bed.

His eyes glanced over to see Hinata, now in night wear, lay down next to him. He leaned over, and kissed her cheek. "Good night."

She gave him a smile, as she returned the kiss. "Good night."

After she closed her eyes, Naruto laid back, and stared up at the ceiling.

The dream kept intruding his mind, even when he tried to push it out countless times. He closed his eyes, and rubbed his face.

_'Come on... It's in the past... I have to get over it...!'_

Soon after, he was unconscious.

* * *

"...Ruto..!"

Naruto's eyes opened slowly, as he looked up. His vision was blurry, and his ears were ringing.

"...Naruto...!"

He looked around, as time had slowed down. He saw a blurry war-torn field, with ANBU fighting other ninja. Whenever he saw a pair of ninja fighting, and jump away, an explosion was seen.

_'W-Where...?'_

"NARUTO!"

The blonde blinked, as he was snapped out of his dazed state, to see Sakura's face right in front of his. Her face was dirty, and bloody, and she was wearing ANBU gear, and had a mask on her head. "Come on! We got to go!"

The blonde got up, and stumbled. He was dizzy, and his vision was still a bit blurry. He tried to walk forward, but groaned as he grabbed his leg. He looked down, and saw that it was bleeding profusely. "D-Dammit...!"

Sakura saw the injury, and growled, as she lowered her mask. "Tch... Come on!" She put his arm over her shoulder, and helped him away from the battlefield.

Explosions went off all around them, as they retreated back to their commander of the squad. Hatake Kakashi. He saw their state, and stood up immediately. "What happened?"

Sakura grunted slightly, as she put Naruto down gently against a tree. "He got caught in an explosion when fighting one of the sound. He's badly wounded, and a bit shell-shocked."

Naruto rubbed his head, as he began to think.

_'What was with that dream...? Being engaged to Hinata? Ridiculous! She's with Kiba anyways.'_

He then blinked, and looked over to see Sakura healing his leg. "Honestly, Naruto! Don't act so reckless, alright?"

Naruto cringed slightly, at the cold tone she was giving off. She had been like that for a while. Since Sasuke had come back, actually. The blonde never really understood why that would have caused this cold attitude towards him. Last time he checked, she loved Sasuke. So, shouldn't she be happier?

Now granted, there are times when she has those warm moments. Which reminded Naruto why he loves her. True, she could be a bit cold at times, and stubborn, and with a fiery temper to boot. However, she also had a gentle, kind, and warm side to her as well.

He then nodded slowly, as he looked down, thanking god she couldn't see his pained expression. "G... Gomenasai, Sakura-chan."

She didn't say anything, as she got up, and walked away.

Kakashi saw the tension, and sighed, as he sat down next to Naruto. "What's wrong, Naruto?"

The blonde pulled his mask off, and looked down at it. "Did I do something, to make her hate me?"

The masked jounin looked at Naruto in shock, before he shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Naruto. She doesn't hate you."

Naruto bit his lip, as he grabbed his shoulder. "Oh yeah? Then why has she been acting like this since Sasuke first got back? There must be something I did that caused this..."

Kakashi blinked at this, as he rubbed his chin. "Well, I know it probably doesn't have to do with Sasuke. After all, she doesn't like him anymore."

Naruto's eyes widened, as he looked at Kakashi. "W-What?"

Kakashi looked at the blonde in slight confusion. "Hm? She didn't tell you?" He then sighed, as he folded his arms. "Odd... Well, she made it pretty clear that she doesn't like Sasuke anymore. I don't know much, but apparently she was talking to Tsunade-sama about what would happen to Sasuke, now that he's back, and has to face charges... Apparently Tsunade-sama kind of pushed her a bit too far with teasing, and she basically shouted that her feelings for Sasuke are gone."

The blonde raised an eyebrow to this, as he looked up at the sky. "Then... Why is she acting like this...?"

The masked jounin stood up, not before he patted Naruto on the shoulder. "Don't know what to tell ya, Naruto. Guess you'll have to find out." With that, he walked off, leaving Naruto alone.

Naruto looked up, and started to think to himself.

_'So Sasuke has nothing to do with it... It's just she started acting like this when he first came back... Oddly coincidental...'_

He then shook his head, as he started to think about it more.

_'Maybe she's angry that I brought him back, now that she has no feelings for him..? Ah, who am I kidding! Regardless of whether she loves him or not, she wanted to get him back as much as I did!'_

The blonde rubbed his temples, as he started to go in circles with his thoughts. "It's no use... Without knowing anything else, there is no way I can figure this out..." He then cringed, as he looked down. "Problem is, she has distanced herself from me. So, even if I want to find out more about this, there is no way that I can." He sighed lowly, as he stared down at the ground.

An image of him, Sakura, and Kakashi flashed in his mind. A picture they took, right after he had gotten back to Konoha all those years ago. He then stood up, and smirked. "You know what... I can't be afraid of how she responds... I have to try, atleast!" He then walked off to find her.

Sakura yawned loudly, as she sat against a tree. Her masked had been raised, allowing her to get some fresh air. She then rubbed her shoulders, while healing them simultaneously if there were any injuries in that area. "Sakura-chan!"

The pinkette blinked, then looked over to see Naruto walking over to her. "What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto was about to say something, but his eyes widened, as his vision began to blur. "I... I..."

The pinkette raised an eyebrow to this in confusion. "Well? Spit it out."

The whole world began to spin around the blonde, as he stumbled slightly. "S...Sa..."

Sakura picked up on this, and slowly began to get up. "N-Naruto?"

He then tripped over his own feet, and started to fall, causing Sakura to catch him. "Oi! Naruto!" Naruto looked up at Sakura, as the world, and her were spinning around him. "Snap out of it, Naruto!"

His eyes began to dull slightly, and Sakura looked in shock to see that the wound in his leg, and his arm had opened up again, and were bleeding even more than before. "Shit!" She then looked down at the blonde, whose eyes began to close. "Naruto! Stay with me, okay?"

His eyes slowly closed, but before fully going unconscious, he could've sworn he had felt something wet hit his face, as well as hearing her cry out something.

"...Please don't leave me...!"

* * *

"Oi... Kit."

The blonde opened his eyes slowly, and was surprised to see that he was in some sort of void. "What... the...?" He then looked over to see the large fox, known as Kurama, give him a concerned look.

The large fox let out a deep sigh, as a second version of him, walked out from behind him. "There is something we need to discuss."

* * *

Wooooooot it's done.

Yeah, a lot happens in this chapter in terms of development. I hope I did alright, lol.

Anyways, explanations will happen next chapter.

Laters.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Credit: The Keeper of Worlds, for helping put this story together.**

* * *

**Note: Canon-verse Kurama will speak with **"**Example**"**. Parallel world Kurama(Kyuubi) will speak with **_"__**Example**__"__**.**_

* * *

Naruto stood there, in total shock as he saw two of the large demonic fox standing in front of him. "K-Kurama? Where am I?... And... Why is there two of you!"

He then looked around at the black void. All that could be seen was thin narrow pathways that eventually led up to the platform that Naruto and the two kitsune were standing on.

Kurama grunted slightly, as he looked to the side. "**It's hard to explain.**"

The other one growled lowly, as he hissed at Kurama. _"__**Just tell him. Beating around the bush isn't going to help anyone.**__"_

Naruto's eyes fully opened, as he felt a rather large amount of... Malice, coming from the second Kurama. He also noticed that the second Kurama was noticeably thinner than the one that he was familiar with. He walked over to the fox, and smiled slightly. "I haven't seen Kurama angry for a long time, so clearly you're not a clone."

The large fox spat in another direction, as he glared down at the blonde. _"__**Took you awhile to figure out that one, dipshit. And it's KYUUBI to you! You don't deserve to speak my name toward me!**__"_

Naruto jumped back slightly from Kur... Kyuubi's words.

_'Eesh, forgot how bad his tempers were.'_

He then turned to Kurama. "Okay. Explanation. If he isn't a clone, why are there two of you?"

Kurama rubbed the bridge of his nose, as he let out a soft growl. "**Okay... See, there are these things called alternate universes. Parallel worlds, if you will.**"

The blonde raised an eyebrow to this, confused as he folded his arms. "Parallel... Worlds?"

The large fox nodded to this, as he closed his eyes. "**Basically, they are splits in reality. Any decision a person makes can create a parallel world, different, or even similar to the original.**"

Kurama's eyes opened slowly, as he looked down at Naruto. "**The bigger the decision, the more the parallel world differs from the original.**"

The blonde had his arms drop to his sides, as he looked at Kurama. "Okay. So what does that have to do with me?"

The large fox looked over at his angry copy, then back at the blonde. "**We believe, that something that you did in the past, caused this to happen.**"

His eyes narrowed, as he continued. "**You made a parallel world.**"

Naruto's eyes widened slightly, as he took a step forward. "Something I did? What do you mean!"

Kurama's stare never wavered, as he answered the blonde. "**There were many points in your life, where there were**** important decisions that you had to make.**"

The blonde looked down, as he cursed slightly. "Well, that doesn't help much... You know how many times I've had to make possibly life changing decisions?"

The Kyuubi sat next to Kurama, and growled lowly. _"__**Well, if you would shut up, then you would know that it is actually simple to find out when it happened.**__" _

Kurama looked over at the other fox, and nodded. "**Summon him.**"

Kyuubi nodded, as he began to glow. He growled in pain, as the area was engulfed in a red light.

Naruto rubbed his eyes, as the light began to fade. "Fuck, way to warn a guy! That light was blinding!"

"W-What the?..."

Naruto blinked, as he opened his slightly sore eyes to see... Another him standing only a few feet away. His eye naturally twitched, as he looked at the other blonde. The only difference that could be seen between them was their apparel. One was wearing Konoha ANBU gear, bearing a long sword on his back, and a fox mask resting on top of his head. While the latter was wearing a long black cloak with orange flames on the bottom, and wearing the hat of the hokage.

Both of them looked up at their respective kitsune, completely baffled.

"Kyuubi, why is there another me?..."  
"Kurama, why is there another me?..."

Both foxes looked at each other, and sighed lowly as Kurama shook his head. "**The reason why there is another you, is because you are both your respective parallels.**"

Kurama then gave a slight smirk. "**It is the you from the alternate world.**"

The ANBU garbed Naruto wasn't too surprised, the information was already given to him. The latter... Wasn't as relaxed.

"EHHHH? A-Alternate world? W-What do you me- Nnngh..." The Rokudaime's eyes rolled to the back of his head, as he fell to the ground, completely unconscious.

The conscious Naruto, and Kurama look at Kyuubi in surprise. Who decided to grunt slightly, as he looked to the side. _"__**Sorry, but I am REALLY not in the mood to deal with that.**__"_

Naruto sighed, as he looked at his unconscious double. "Was I really that bad in the past, Kurama?"

Kurama coughed lightly into his fist, as he closed his eyes. "**A-Anyways-**" He raised an eyebrow, when he noticed the Rokudaime begin to levitate in the air. A slight smile appeared on his mug. "**Ah, looks like it has begun.**"

Naruto looked at all of this in shock. "H-Huh? What has begun? What're you- A-AH!" Naruto looked around in panic, as he began to levitate as well. He was then flung forward toward his alternate counterpart. "WAIT! WAIT! WAAAAIIIT!"

They both collide, causing a bright light to engulf the room.

Once the light faded, both kitsune looked to see Naruto slowly get up. "Iteee, I got such a headache..."

Kurama rubbed his chin, as he looked at the blonde. "**Interesting... You both formed into one being, but-**"

Naruto's eyes bugged out of his head, as he looked at Kurama. "Wait, WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?"

Kurama rubbed his temples, as he hushed Naruto. "**Calm down... This was going to happen.**"

The blonde folded his arms, as he looked at the fox in confusion. "Wait... It was? Why? I get that I made a parallel universe, but... Why was this going to happen?"

Kurama looked at his alternate, who growled lowly. _"__**Well, what my 'esteemed counterpart' failed to tell you, is that our worlds are becoming unstable...**__"_

The ANBU garbed jinchuuriki stared at the Kyuubi, confused even more. "Un...Stable? Why?"

The Kyuubi growled as he closed his eyes, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. _"__**Have you been having weird dreams lately? Dreams of events that are familiar... But also different?**__"_

Naruto rubbed his chin, as he began to think about the question, before his eyes fully opened. "Now that you mentioned it... I did dream of being the Hokage... During the dream I was talking to Shikamaru, and then Sakura.. Er, Sakura-chan, showed up... And I felt really... Angry for some reason."

The Kyuubi's eyes opened at this, as he looked at Kurama. _"__**This is worst than I thought...**__" _He then looked down at the blonde. _"__**Naruto, what you dreamt of, was something that your alternate was doing today in our world. You were dreaming of events as they were happening.**__"_

The blonde's eyes widened at this "W-What? Are you serious?"

The Kyuubi nods to this, as he looks down. _"__**It's been similar for your alternate. Lately he had dreamed of events that were similar to what he had experienced, but were also different in small ways...**__" _Kyuubi's eyes sharpen, as he continues._"__**You both are dreaming of memories and past events that never happened in your respective worlds. That is why our worlds are becoming unstable, our universes can't handle tears in reality such as this.**__"_

Naruto grabbed his head, feeling pain go through it. "Okay! No more of this over complicated universe stuff! My brain can't take it!"

Kurama took a breath, as he began to speak. "**But, it's interesting that my world's Naruto became the dominant form of the two.**"

Kyuubi scoffed, as he looked to the side. _"__**Makes sense... My world's brat was such a fucking pushover...**__"_

Kurama then smirked, as he put out a hand. "**But now that they've joined, we can now get to the root of the problem... Where it all started.**"He then brought up images from Naruto's past. All of his past battles, all of his emotional encounters... Everything.

Naruto looked at all the floating images, he then turned his head to Kurama. "What's this for?"

The large fox moved his hand around, lining up the memories side by side, based on the world that they came from. "**We're trying to find out when the worlds had split from each other... When the memories began to change.**"

Naruto rubbed his chin, as they looked through the memories. He blinked, when he noticed they were going from when he was born. All of the memories so far had been the same. "Wait... Wouldn't it be smarter if we started from the present and go back from there?"

Kurama rubbed his chin, as he began to ponder the idea. "**Hmm... Well, from what I can gather, the memories from your childhood are all the same. So, we'll go with your idea.**"

He flipped them around, so it would go in reverse order. Naruto saw all the memories from both sides. His eyes lit up, when he noticed that the memories from the war, were not there from the alternate side. "So... He didn't fight in the war?"

The Kyuubi sighed, as he shook his head. _"__**I'm assuming that you haven't recovered all the memories from your alternate self, so... No, there wasn't a war in my world.**__" _Naruto looked at the fox in surprise, who continued. _"__**Instead... The nations planned for a small assault group of the strongest ninja to go and attack the Akatsuki at the source... With Naruto as the leader of the group.**__"_

Naruto looked on, and cringed slightly when he saw his alternate self kill Sasuke. "Guess we never patched things up..."

After awhile, he looked in surprise. "Hold on! That... That's when Sakura and I..." He fell to his knees, as he grabbed his head. "W-What's going on?... I feel this splitting like pain in my head...!"

Kurama looked at the memory, then back at Naruto. "**I see... This is the time when it happened!**"

Naruto looked up at Kurama, with an eyebrow raised. "A-Are you sure?"

The fox nodded, as he looked at the image. "**It has to be, otherwise you should have reacted to the other sets of memories.**" He then growled lowly. "**Everything changed... In the Iron country.**"

The blonde shook his head, as the pain began to fade. "Yeah... Yeah, I remember...! Sakura and I... She told me that she loved me, but... I knew she was lying to me... After that, I let it go, because I understood that she was trying to protect me."

His eyes widened slightly, as he grabbed his head. "B-But there's more... I... I was so angry...! She... She used my feelings...! She took advantage of my feelings for her, and my trust...! In order to get to Sasuke...!"

The Kyuubi sighed, as he looked to the side. _"__**Well, that's how your alternate self reacted to it... Seems you handled yourself better.**__"_

Kurama then gets into a more relaxed position. "**It also seems like you're beginning to remember the memories from your alternate self.**"

Naruto groaned, as he rubbed his head. "So... So what do we do now?... We know the source of the problem... So what now?..."

Kurama and the Kyuubi both look at each other, and gave a sort of pained expression. "**Well, Naruto... This is where it gets difficult.**"

The blonde looked at them both, totally confused, before the large fox continued. "**You will have to give up one of the two worlds.**"

Naruto stared at them both for what must've been 20 minutes, before his jaw dropped. "W-Wait... What do you mean by 'give up one of the worlds'?"

The Kyuubi looked down at the blonde. _"__**It's exactly what he said, you have to choose a world to give up, and a world to stay in.**__" _He stuck his finger out toward the jinchuuriki. _"__**YOU are the cause of the two worlds being split apart, the moment you give up a world, it should disappear, along with your memories of it.**__"_

Naruto looked at them both in shock, as he looked down. When he thought about it, a rush of feelings surged through his body. More specifically, his feelings for Hinata and Sakura. "D-Dammit...! My circumstances couldn't be any worst!" He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Do I... Do I love them both?..."

Kurama blinked at what Naruto had said, and sighed slightly. "**You're still getting accustomed to your alternate self's memories and feelings. You may love them both now, but once you and him fully fuse together, you might start seeing things in a whole different light.**"

The Kyuubi walked up, and sat next to Kurama, and growled lowly. _"__**That's not all that there is to this... You have to choose to end a world... Of course it is not going to be simple.**__" _He put his arms out, in his left hand, an image of him being the hokage with Hinata in his arms appeared. In his right, an image of him standing in ANBU gear, bloody and heroic, with Sakura standing next to him appeared. _"__**Which world will you choose to give up?... The world where the title, a beautiful girl, the acknowledgement, everything you could have ever asked for, was given to you? Or, the world where you are still struggling to obtain all that you have ever wanted?**__"_

Naruto just stared at the fox, before scratching his head. "When you put it like that, at first glance anyone would pick the first world to stay in." He then looked down, biting his lip. "But... What about Sakura?... Plus... Working for your dreams is never a bad thing..."

Kurama nodded slowly, as he gave a slight smile "**You still have time to decide. In the mean time, you will have to live in both worlds.**" His eyes then sharpened. "**I hope you're ready... For these next several days will be rough on you...**"

Naruto's eyes widened at this. "Wait... What do you...?" He then saw that the world was beginning to fade away. "W-Wait! Kurama! What did you mean!"

Soon his vision was engulfed in light.

* * *

Wooooooot almost took me a month to do this!

Yeah sorry, it was actually really difficult to write this chapter. Because I had to write it without making it sound... Well, illogical. Yeah, the whole parallel world thing probably isn't perfect, but I'm not going into TOO much detail with it. This isn't supposed to be a sci-fi fic.

Anywho, Laters.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto: Shippuuden, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Credit: The Keeper of Worlds, for helping put this story together.**

* * *

Naruto's eyes shot open as he sat up from his sleeping position. "Kurama...!"

The blonde panted heavily as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. His eyes shook as he looked around at his surroundings. He was in a bedroom, and a nice bedroom at that, rather than the gritty battlefield that he was in before. He rubbed his sore eyes, as he let his feet hang off of the bed.

_'This must be my alternate self's bedroom...'_

The blonde got up and stumbled his way out of the room. He made his way into the bathroom, and turned on the faucet to the sink. He splashed his face with cold water, then looked at himself in the mirror. He had bags under his eyes, which were also dulled.

_'My body must still be getting used to the two sets of consciousness... Or... Our bodies... This is confusing.'_

Naruto walked out of the bathroom slowly, and made his way to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter, as he made himself a cup of coffee.

With his back facing the room, he leaned over the counter as he sipped his now fixed coffee.

_'Okay... I feel very nauseous... Even though it's technically my body, I guess it's different enough to where I feel sick to my stomach from the change.'_

He set the cup down, before bringing his hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose.

_'And fuck, my headache is still just as bad! I haven't felt this much pain in my head since my first hangover...!'_

"Good morning, Hokage-sama."

Naruto blinked, before he felt arms wrap around him, he then felt someone press up to his back. His eyes widened at this, as he looked down at the arms, then back at the person. He then closed his eyes as he forced a grin on his face. "O-Oh, morning Hinata."

_'O-Okay... Why is she?...'_

She returned the smile, as she backed off of him. "You're up early."

The blonde turned to face her, as he raised the cup of coffee off of the counter top. "Yeah... Didn't feel like getting to sleep, so I decided to get ready early.

The black-haired Hyuuga walked over to the stove, and grabbed the kettle. "That's probably the best thing to do. Don't want to be tired when you're the leader of the village, right?"

Naruto's eyes widened slightly, before going back to normal, as he watched Hinata fill the kettle with water, then move it to the stove top to heat it up. "R-Right."

Once the water had finished heating it up, Hinata took the kettle and poured the water into a tea mug. She then set it aside as she fixed her tea. "I'm going to go watch TV." After giving him a light kiss on the cheek, she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Naruto's face heated up slightly from the kiss, as he rubbed his cheek.

_'R-Right... Hinata's my fiancée in this world...'_

He then leaned back against the counter top, as he stared up at the ceiling.

_'Though, Kurama was right about one thing. My feelings for her aren't nearly as strong now as they were last night. Gotta love emotions from two different versions of myself colliding...'_

He then rubbed his head, as he finished off his coffee, then went off to get ready for the day.

"FUUUCK! I never knew that it was _this_ bad!"

Naruto frustratingly scratched his head, as he went through the documents, that were in need of his signature. After several minutes of this, he set his pen down, and rubbed his temples. "I always heard Baa-chan bitching about it, but I never realized how bad she had it!"

The blonde began to grumble, as he went back to the documents. He didn't even notice that someone had walked into the room, and had started to watch his frustration in amusement. "Well, someone's in a sour mood today."

Naruto blinked as he heard the person, then looked up as a smile appeared on his features. It was his favorite teacher, Kakashi. "Hey, sensei!"

The gray-haired jounin sighed, as he shook his head. "For the millionth time, Naruto... You're the Hokage now, you don't need to call me sensei."

Naruto laughed as he got up, and put his hand out for Kakashi to shake it, who accepted it with an eye smile. "Still, good to see you, it feels like it has been ages."

The blonde walked back over to his seat, and sat down. "Yeah... Sorry about that, with this and preparing for the wedding with Hinata, I'm too busy to really talk to _anyone_. Unless they come to see me, of course."

Kakashi laughed slightly, as he sat down on the opposite side of the desk. "I can imagine. A Hokage's work is never done."

Naruto groaned in response, as he stretched his arms. "Tell me about it. Whenever I feel like I'm getting close, I realize that I haven't even made a dent in this paper work!"

The mask wearing jounin could only laugh at Naruto's antics. The blonde subtly narrowed his eyes, as he continued to stretch.

_'Well, looks like I still act like how I did as a teenager here... May as well keep the act up.'_

Naruto then gave a smile, as he stopped his stretches. "Well, enough about me... What's new with you?"

Kakashi blinked at this, as he looked to the side, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, Anko and I are together now."

The blonde gasped jokingly, which made Kakashi roll his eye in response. "Very funny."

Naruto shook his head, as he stopped kidding. "Sorry, but I am happy for you. You two had led each other on for _years_ now! Even before I had gotten with Hinata."

_'Huh... That kind of slipped out. Guess I'm starting to remember more now.'_

Kakashi gave an eye smile to the blonde. "Arigatou."

As they talked more, they both heard the door open, and looked over to see a certain pinkette had walked in. She had a bunch of files in her arms, as she walked over to the desk. When she placed them down in front of the blonde, he was able to get a good look at her face. She was definitely trying to look formal, and business-like. However... Thanks to his connection to Kurama, he was able sense how she was feeling.

His eyes shrunk slightly from the amount of... Sadness that was in her. He hadn't felt such sadness in someone for a long time. He was also able to see an empty look in her eyes.

Sakura bowed respectfully, then stood up fully. "If that's all you need, then I will take my leave for the day, Hokage-sama..."

Naruto could only nod slowly, stunned from the amount of negative emotion that was radiating from her body. "V-Very well, Sakura-chan."

Her eyes twitched slightly, from his accidental use of '-chan', which used to be a sort of nickname that he had for her. She then turned, and walked out of the room.

Kakashi looked at Naruto warily. "Are you okay, Naruto?"

The blonde blinked, then looked back at Kakashi with a slight laugh. "What do you mean?"

The gray-haired jounin stuffed his hands in his pockets, as he continued to look at the blonde in concern. "Well, you just used the 'chan' suffix when talking to Sakura, which you haven't used in years." He then leaned forward, his eye squinting slightly as he got a better look at the blonde. "Plus... I haven't seen you this worn out in a long time."

The blonde rubbed the back of his head, as he looked to the side. "I... It's been a long week, is all..."

Kakashi sighed at this, as he got up, and patted Naruto on the shoulder. "Well, you should take it easy. You may be the Hokage, but that doesn't mean that you should juggle a bunch of tasks at once when you're under stress..." He then leaned over, whispering slightly. "By the way, you should probably lay off the booze. I get that you're twenty-two now, but no need to get yourself drunk while on the job."

Naruto looked at Kakashi in surprise, but only nodded, as he looked down. "R-Right..."

_'With how I must look right now, I'm not surprised that he came to that conclusion.'_

With that, Kakashi gave the blonde a wave, as he walked out of the room.

The sun was beginning to set, as Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha. He had his hood up, so he wouldn't attract attention.

He breathed in slowly, taking in the cool autumn air. He then sighed lowly and looked up, he saw the sky had turned pink from the setting sun.

_'I like days like this... Peaceful... Cold enough to get the brain going... Gives me time to think.'_

As he walked through the streets, his eyes caught the Yamanaka flower shop. He shrugged, then turned himself toward the store.

_'Well, may as well check to see if they have any flowers available for the wedding.'_

He opened the door, and stepped through. He looked at all the flowers, feeling nostalgia rush through him from all the times he had come here. It was mainly to get flowers to impress Sakura and... Hinata.

_'Damn, I had the same mindset in both cases, huh?...'_

"Naruto? That you?"

The blonde was knocked out of his thoughts, causing him to glance over at the source of the voice. A calm smile appeared on his features when he saw that the source was Yamanaka Ino. "Yeah, had to put this hood on to avoid people swarming me."

Ino laughed, as she rested her elbows on the counter top. "I can see why, the people really look up to you."

Naruto pulled the hood off, as he rubbed his neck. "Think so?"

She nodded, as she gave him a smile. "Yeah, you've come up with many changes to help the people of Konoha. I mean, you helped the lower classes out of poverty! And, you gave the people of Konoha a voice. You make them feel like they can make a difference."

Naruto's eyes widened at this, as he could barely fathom the amount of... Good, his alternate self had done for his home.

_'This pushover version of myself, was able to do all of this?...'_

The blonde then smiled, as he looked to the side. "I'm just doing what I think is right for the village, is all."

Ino rolled her eyes at this, as she sipped some coffee. "As usual, you're being completely bashful about how successful your ideas have been."

She then sat down in a chair, allowing her legs to rest. "So, what can I do for you, Hokage-sama?" She added a joking tone to the end of the sentence, causing a chuckle to escape from Naruto's lips.

He then looked around at the shop. "I don't know if Hinata has already done so, but are there any...-"

Ino waved a hand, telling him to say no more. "Don't worry, she already stopped by to make the orders. You're all set flower-wise."

Naruto gave the other blonde a smile. "Thanks, Ino."

She leaned back in the chair, and gave him a thumbs up. "No problem."

Naruto's smile began to fade away, as he looked down. A part of him wanted to leave, now that he really didn't have any business being there. But, Ino is Sakura's best friend. Surely, she would know why Sakura is so depressed, right?

"Hey, earth to Naruto."

The blonde blinked, and looked back at Ino, who was looking at him in slight concern. "You okay? You kinda spaced out for a minute there."

He rubbed the back of his head, while giving a laugh. "S-Sorry, something has just been bugging me."

Ino gave him a smile, as she sipped her coffee. "Well, if you need to talk to someone, I'm all ears. You are marrying one of my friends, after all."

Naruto instantly took that offer, as he pulled up a free chair, and sat in front of her. She offered him coffee, which he accepted with no hesitation.

As he sipped on his cup of coffee, Ino leaned back in her seat a bit. "So, what's on the Hokage's mind?"

The blonde looked down, as he stared at his hot drink. He didn't know where to start, so he let the name slip out. "Sakura."

Ino's eyes widened at this, before composing herself. "What about her?"

Naruto looked at Ino, his eyes showed slight confusion. "When she came into my office earlier today, she was trying to hide it, but... I saw a lot of sadness in her." He sat up from his hunched over position, as he gave Ino a solemn look. "What I want to know is, why is she so sad?"

Ino sighed, while she looked to the side. "Why're you asking me?"

Naruto put his coffee down on the counter top, his stare never wavered. "Because you are her best friend, Ino. Out of all people who could know what's going on, you would be the one to know the most, hell you may be the only one."

Ino bit her lip, as she got up, and folded her arms. "I don't know much... She's only told me a little."

Naruto kept silent, as he waited for Ino to continue. She turned around, and looked out the window. "Naruto... She feels guilty."

The blonde raised an eyebrow to this in confusion. "Guilty? About what?"

Ino turned around, and looked at Naruto. He picked up on the pained look on her face. "About that whole incident in the Iron country... And everything that she has done to wrong you."

Naruto's eyebrows raised in surprise, as he stood up. "Only now, she feels guilty?" He scoffed at this, surprising himself immediately after.

_'Eesh, looks like my alternate self did NOT like hearing that.'_

Ino moved her bangs from her eyes, as she looked at Naruto. "I understand how you feel, Naruto... No one should go through that. But, she told me that ever since that day, she's felt nothing but misery and guilt." Ino hugged herself, as she looked down. The blonde's eyes widened when he saw tears drop to the floor. Ino gritted her teeth, as her emotions started to get the better of her. "I can't stand watching her go through this pain, day after day... I know that you probably will never be able to forgive her... But please, at least talk to her...!"

Naruto looked to the side, reluctance filling his face. "I... I don't know..."

He was stunned when Ino walked over, and grabbed him by the shirt. "Please...! You both need closure... You both need to move on from what happened."

Naruto stared at the teary eyed girl, before closing his eyes. He then gave a silent nod. "...Fine..."

Naruto walked into his house after several hours of just aimless walking through the village. His eyes were empty, as he thought about what happened between him and Sakura. The memory replaying countless times.

He rubbed his eyes, as he closed and locked the door behind him. He then looked over at the clock. "2 am, huh?... Hinata's gonna be pissed..."

The blonde made his way to his room, and changed into his night wear. He looked over at the bed, and stared at the figure laying peacefully in the bed. He bit his lower lip, as he walked out of the bedroom, and into the living room.

All the while, tears were falling down his face. "D-Dammit...!"

He sat down on the couch, as he put his hand to his eyes. He knew why he was crying. The thought of Sakura crying because of his actions, was heart breaking. It didn't matter that this was a Sakura from a different world. Sakura was Sakura to him.

He then laid back on the couch, and stared up at the ceiling.

_'I understand, why this world's version of myself hated Sakura... It took everything it had in me to forgive her in my world... I guess I love her too much to hate her for that...'_

Images of Hinata had begun flash in Naruto's mind, causing his eyes to widen. The blonde then put his arm over his eyes, as he gritted his teeth. "Dammit... Why do I have to love them both...!"

_'Why does this have to be so FUCKING HARD! I don't want to have to choose between them!'_

The tears came back at full force, at the very thought of having to give one of them up. He didn't want to, but he knew he had to.

"Naruto-kun...?"

The blonde opened his eyes in surprise, to see a tired Hinata standing at the end of the hall way rubbing her eye. "What's wrong...? I heard you cry out..."

Naruto gave her a tired smile, as he sat up. "I... It's nothing... I'm just a bit stressed from work..."

Hinata walked over to him, and took his hand. "Is that why you were out so late?..."

The blonde nodded, as he looked down. "...Yeah." He then felt his arm get tugged a bit, causing him to look up.

Hinata was giving him a loving smile. "...Come on. You need your rest..." Naruto smiled back, as he got up, and walked into the bedroom with her.

They both laid down, and Hinata wrapped her arms around him, cuddling up to him. "I know that it must be hard for you... Just know that... I'm here to support you, whenever you need it..."

Naruto looked down at the Hyuuga heiress in surprise, before nodding, and returning the hug. "Right... Thank you..."

_'Well... This doesn't help my decision at all...'_

Soon after, they were both asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Wooooooot. Another chapter done!

I'm sure you can guess, but in the next chapter, we're jumping to the next world!

Laters.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto: Shippuuden, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Credit: The Keeper of Worlds, for helping put this story together.**

* * *

_'Okay... Now that I'm asleep, I get some time to think...'_

The unconscious blonde's hair swayed slightly from the wind, as he laid in his peaceful state.

_'That world... Kyuubi was right when he said everything was given to me... That should be good, right?... If so, why is it...'_

His body began to rustle, as consciousness came about.

_'Oh what the fuck, it's only been a minute!'_

Naruto sat up, and rubbed his face, but blinked when he saw it was a gloved hand with a metal plate on the back. "H-Huh?..."

He looked around, and saw that he was in a tent. He was about to get up, but groaned when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. The blonde looked down, and saw bandages wrapped around his leg, and arm. His eyes closed slightly, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

_'Right... Just before I passed out and went into that void, I was injured...'_

The blonde slowly got up, grunting when he felt a shot of pain go through his leg. His eyes widened when he felt a rather large jolt of pain shoot from his leg, to the base of his neck, causing him to fall on to his knees. He breathed slowly, as he felt sweat trickle down his forehead.

_'O-Okay... Having my chakra mostly sealed by this tattoo fucking sucks...'_

He then rubbed his eyes, as he let his leg rest a bit more. Luckily, this gave him some time to think.

_'Alright, from what I can gather... When I end a day in one world, I jump to the next as its day begins.'_

He then looked outside the tent, seeing the daylight shine through the curtains.

_'So, what am I trying to accomplish?... Am I just getting a feel for these worlds, so I can make a decision once the time comes, while knowing full well what I'm giving up?...'_

The blonde pinched the bridge of his nose, as he laughed to himself. "Well, that's a bit fucked up if you think about it..."

He walked slowly out of the tent, only to see the backs of his two teammates, and the side of one person he hadn't seen in months. "S-Sasuke?"

The raven haired Uchiha looked over to see the blonde, and gave a slight smirk. "Oh, Dobe, they told me you were injured. Unfortunately, you survived."

Naruto rolled his eyes, as he walked over to the Uchiha, and gave him a handshake. "Good to see you too, Teme." The blonde then blinked, when he saw the ninja flak jacket on his friend. "You're back in the ranks?"

Sasuke nodded, as he folded his arms. "Yeah. It took awhile, but I was able to take the exams. I'm a full-fledged Jounin now." The Uchiha then sighed, as he looked to the side. "I also requested to join the ANBU forces, but alas, they don't trust me THAT much."

Naruto gave him a smile, then a pat on the back. "Give it a few years, buddy. I'm sure they'll warm up to ya."

As Naruto said that though, he looked to the side, thinking about what he had just said. He then thought back, to the time Sasuke had first defected, to all the times Sasuke had nearly killed him. He then thought back to the end of the war, when Sasuke suddenly rejoined their side. The blonde felt sweat trickle down the side of his head, as he laughed inwardly.

_'Then again... Maybe not.'_

Sakura looked at them both, giving them a sharp, soul-piercing look. "If you both are done having your bonding time, we need to get back to our discussion." The two men looked at each other in slight shock, then back at the pinkette. They both only gave a silent nod, as they walked over to the table that had been set up.

Kakashi looked at them all in concern, before clearing his throat. "Anyways..." He pointed to the map, showing the facility they were attacking. "This mission, is going to be a diversion mission." He then looked up at them. "Sasuke came here originally because of a supply escort. But, because of his unique abilities, he will be assisting us in the diversion."

The Uchiha shrugged slightly, as he folded his arms. "I don't know how much help I'll be, my Mangekyou sharingan was sealed away."

Kakashi looked over at Sasuke, and gave him an eye smile. "Don't worry, you'll be more than enough help for us." The gray-haired ANBU captain then pointed to the back of the facility. "In the diversion a large squad of ANBU, and Sasuke, will be attacking from the front. This way, the sound guarding the facility will focus their attention on us. Once a signal is given out, a two man team will sneak around the back of the facility, and attack it from the inside." He then looked at the two ANBU members in front of him. "Naruto, you and Sakura will be the two man squad. You because of your vast amount of techniques, and large chakra supply, and Sakura because of her large amounts of strength, and healing abilities."

He then stood up fully, looking at them both. "We only have one shot at this, so I'm expecting the best out of the both of you."

Both Naruto and Sakura nod to this. "Hai."

* * *

Naruto and Sakura both sat on tree branches, as they waited patiently for the signal.

The entire time, Sakura was sharpening a kunai, and Naruto was staring at her.

No matter how much he wanted to stop, he just kept staring at her in some hope that doing so would help him figure out why she was being so cold to him.

_'I wish I knew what was going on in her head... She's just so damn hard to read sometimes!'_

His eyes then widened slightly, as images from the iron country flashed in his mind.

_'W... Why am I thinking about when she told me that she loved me?... I mean she was obviously lying.'_

"Okay, why have you been staring at me for the last 5 minutes?"

The blonde blinked, when Sakura had gotten him out of his thoughts. She then put her Kunai away, huffing slightly, as her emerald eyes met up with his cerulean eyes. "Well?"

Naruto's eyes closed slightly, as he gave her a solemn look. Now wasn't the time to just take her sharp attitude. "I'm trying to figure out why you've been so cold towards me..."

The pinkette blinked at this, as she looked at him with her eyebrow raised in confusion. "H-Huh? What do you mean? I haven't been cold to you."

The blonde's stare didn't waver, as he continued. "You sure? Cause ever since Sasuke first came back with us, you have been rather short towards me. We barely talk, and whenever we do, it is usually you just berating me for a small mistake. Kind of reminds me of how you treated me when we were kids."

Sakura's eyes widened at this, as she looked down. "I... I didn't realize..."

Both of them hear a sharp whistling in the wind, and back off when a Kunai hits a tree trunk right next to them.

They both then look at each other, then nod. "Let's go."

After a few minutes of jumping through the tree branches, they reach the back of the facility.

Naruto looked at Sakura, and stepped aside. "Ladies first."

The pinkette walked over to the wall, and cracked her knuckles. "How sweet." She threw her fist forward, crushing a large part of the wall on contact.

They both walk through the hole, and sneak around the facility. They hid in the shadows, as a guard walks by.

Just as he was about to pass them, Naruto grabbed him and covered the guard's mouth. "Shhh..." Without hesitation, he pulled out a kunai and slit the guard's throat. He dropped the guard, letting him slump down to the ground.

Sakura looked at Naruto in surprise, who only walked forward. She hadn't seen this amount of brutality from him before. Normally he would just knock them out so they would get captured after the mission would end.

Naruto was surprised himself, so much so, that he felt sick to his stomach.

_'Okay... So apparently my alternate self had been part of some dark shit... Guess he's used to it, since he fuckin' wiped out the Akatsuki in a sneak attack. I mean... I'm used to missions like this, but I've never killed someone like that before.'_

Naruto looked over at a power supply, then at Sakura. "I have an idea... They'll get distracted if I destroy this."

The pinkette sighed, as she folded her arms. "Alright."

The blonde pumped chakra in his hand, causing a blue sphere to appear in his palm. "Rasengan..." He threw his hand forward, making contact with the generator, causing it to explode on contact.

They both looked up to see an alarm go off, as he looked at Sakura. "Come on." She nodded, as they both jumped up to a cat walk, and looked down to see guards reaching the generator.

One of them looked over into the dim hallway. "What happened!"

Another guard rubbed the back of his head, as he looked at the yelling guard. "I don't know, I just heard an explosion, and when I got here, it was destroyed!"

The largest of the three grumbled, as he looked down the other hall way. "Dammit, where the hell is Keisuke, he was supposed to be keeping watch of this area!"

"..."

The guard looked back, and was surprised when he saw no one there. "H-Hello?"

He took a step forward, as he looked down the dark corridor. "H-Hiroto? T-Takeshi?" He didn't hear anything, so he took a step forward. "Come on guys, enough playing around. I know that you're just trying to use this commotion to scare me!"

"...Oh, I wouldn't worry about them."

The blood froze in the guard's veins, when he turned around slowly, only to meet blood-red demonic eyes. "A-Ahh..."

Before he could cry out in terror, Naruto covered his mouth, as he stabbed the guard in the back. "Quiet now..." The blonde finally let go of the guard's mouth, once he knew the man had bled out.

Sakura jumped down, she then looked at the dead bodies around them. "...Naruto." The blonde looked over at her, as she bit her lower lip. "Are you okay?..."

Naruto raised an eyebrow to this, as he faced the pinkette. "Why do you ask?"

The kunoichi walked over to him, as she gave a concerned stare. "Because you just ruthlessly killed these people." She points towards the body next to them. "Instead of just knocking him out, you scared him THEN killed him! You hung the other two, for Gods sake!"

The blonde stared at Sakura in shock as he looked to the side. "I..."

_'I... I did?... I was kind of out of it there... But... I seriously did that?...'_

"Hey! Who's there?"

The two look in shock, as a couple guards show up, along with several more. Soon, they were surrounded by 10 sound ninja.

Naruto and Sakura were standing back to back. They looked at each other, and nod slowly. "Well, a couple of Konoha ANBU. This is certainly an interesting sight."

The lead guard walked over, and sneered at them. "Oooh, ones a girl too. She's got quite a body there. As expected of a trained Kunoichi..." He got right up in Sakura's face, as he gave a perverted smirk. "I can't wait to break you..."

Not being able to see her expression because of the mask, she could only laugh. "Me too..." Instantly, she threw her fist up, making contact with the guard's jaw, tearing his head off of his torso. Naruto watched this, and cringed in pain, and disgust.

_'Well, we're gonna have to kill them to get out of this... No other choice, really...'_

The rest of the guards looked on in shock as one of them backed away slowly. "W-What the fuck! What is with her strength!"

Another guard unsheathed a sword, as he stepped forward. "Don't become cowards now! We have to protect the facility!" The rest of the guards looked at each other reluctantly, but soon they had joined in.

"YEAH!"

Naruto pulled out a kunai, as he looked at Sakura. "You take one half, I'll take the other."

The pinkette laughed at this, as she balled her hands into fists. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

The blonde rushed forward at the group of sound ninja, as he put his hands together to make a hand sign. "Kage-bunshin no jutsu!" Three other versions of himself appeared, as he continued to rush toward the enemy.

He falls back, dodging a sword slash going for his head. He uses this to grab the ground, and sweep kick the man. His clone uses the opportunity to stab the fallen guard in the chest, following up with vaulting himself off of the body to kick another guard in the head.

Naruto then pumped a rasengan in his hand, another clone ran up to him to pump nature chakra into it. The blonde raised his hand up once it was finished, the ear-piercing technique roaring in his hand. "Rasen-shuuriken!"

He threw the technique at the group of ninja, then closed his fist. "You're dead!" The technique immediately expanded, killing the guards that were caught in its destructive path.

Naruto panted slightly, as he saw that his particular group of enemies were all dead, and he was nearly out of chakra. "D-Dammit... Curse this stupid ANBU seal..."

He looked back, and saw that Sakura was handling herself well. However, he saw her get grabbed from behind by one of the guards, locking her in a hold. "D-Dammit! Fucking bastard!"

"Sakura-chan!" He tried to rush over to her, but he was quickly tackled by a guard. "Augh... Shit...!"

The guard looked at her in hate. "You killed our leader... We were going to spare you, by making you our sex slave... But you don't deserve that kind of mercy!"

Sakura's eyes widened, when she felt something cold and sharp make contact with her side, passing through her flesh. "N-Nngh..!"

Naruto growled, as he felt his body burn from Kurama's chakra slowly leaking through the seal. "DON'T. FUCKING. **TOUCH HER!**" He grabbed the guard who had tackled him by his head, and slammed him into the floor.

He grabbed the man who had Sakura in a hold by the neck. "**Have fun with your death...**" He swiftly snapped the man's neck, along with quickly throwing a Kunai into the face of the man who had stabbed her.

Naruto grabbed his head, as he stumbled slightly. "W-What the...?" His eyes widened, as he saw the dead corpses of the people who had injured Sakura. Both were killed viciously.

_'W-What is wrong with me...? W-What's with this blood lust...?'_

"N-Naruto..."

The blonde was snapped out of his thoughts, as he quickly went to Sakura's side. He looked down at the wound, and his eyes had shrunk when he saw the amount of blood coming out of the wound. "S-Sakura-chan! Don't worry, I'll get you out of here!"

The pinkette laughed slightly, as she closed her eyes. "I've already healed a bit of the wound... but I don't have enough chakra to completely heal myself... Y-You better keep that promise." Despite how strong she was trying to be, tears were running down her face, and she was trembling. He knew that she was scared.

Naruto bit his lip, as he tried to hold on to his strength as well. He kissed her forehead, as he began to comfort her. "I will..."

He then picked her up, as he began to rush out of the base. He clicked on his headset. "Kakashi! Oi Kakashi!"

"What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto cringed slightly, as he tried to push down the lump in his throat. "T-The mission is a failure. We were caught, and Sakura-chan got injured... I'm retreating with her as we speak."

"...I see. Get her to safety immediately, we will try to handle the rest."

The blonde closed his eyes, as he felt a tear escape his eye. "H-Hai..."

_'This is my fault...'_

* * *

Naruto stood outside the medical tent, where they were busy trying to heal up Sakura's wound. It was much worst than she had let on. The sword had actually punctured an organ, and she was losing a lot of blood.

The blonde sat down against a tree, as he put his face in his hand. Tears were slowly running down his face.

_'It's all my fault... I was being too fucking reckless!... If I had just kept an eye on her, this wouldn't have happened!'_

He gritted his teeth, as the tears came at a greater rate.

"Naruto..."

The blonde blinked, as he looked up to see Sasuke walk over. Naruto looked to the side, not caring that Sasuke had seen him crying. "What, you gonna mock me for crying?..."

The raven haired jounin's eyes opened fully at this. He then sighed as he sat next to the blonde. "No... I was going to ask if you were okay."

Naruto growled slightly, as he looked down. "No... I'm not okay... Sakura-chan might fucking die because of me!" He grabbed his head, as he looked down at the ground. "If I hadn't have been so reckless... If I had kept us from getting caught, if I had kept an eye on her more often, then this wouldn't have happened!"

"You don't know that..."

The blonde looked over at Sasuke in shock, who only looked at Naruto. "You don't know that any of those things would have made a difference... I know that you love her, dobe, but you can't blame yourself because of something that was out of your control."

Naruto looked down, as he closed his eyes. "But... It's my fault that we were caught..."

Sasuke smacked the back of the blonde's head, causing the latter to rub the back of his head. "Idiot, so you made one mistake, that doesn't mean you should hold yourself responsible for everything that happened." He then gave Naruto a smirk. "Rather, you should use this as a way to improve yourself. This way, you won't make that mistake again, if Sakura's safety means so much to you."

Naruto stared at the Uchiha in shock, only seeing now, just how much he had changed since Naruto first brought him back all those years ago. He then gave Sasuke a smile. "Heh... Thanks, Sasuke."

They both looked over, as the medic walked out of the tent. "Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto stood up, then walked over to the medic. "Yes?"

The medic noticed the panicked look on his face, causing her to give him a smile. "Don't worry, she'll be alright..." Naruto looked at the medic in surprise, who continued. "It's a good thing you got her here when you did, we were still able to repair the damages. However, she won't be in combat-ready condition for several days. She's not like you, after all."

Naruto smiled slightly at this, glad to see that the medics were fully aware of his quick healing abilities. He then looked down for a moment, then looked back at the medic. "Can I see her?"

The medic saw the soft look on his face, then gave him a sweet smile. "I don't see why not. She should be awake."

Naruto gave her his thanks, as he walked in to the tent.

"Hey, you..."

Naruto bit his lip, as he saw the state Sakura was in. She had bandages wrapped around her lower torso, had dark rings around her eyes, and she was much paler than before. "H-Hey..."

The pinkette patted the chair that was next to her bed, the blonde accepted the seat, as a pained look was shown clearly on his face. Sakura had a feeling about what was going through his mind, and tried to cheer him up. "Hey..."

The blonde blinked, when he heard her speak up, she then gave him a smile. "Thanks for keeping your promise..."

This brought Naruto over the edge, as tears built up in his eyes. He put his hand over his eyes. "D-Dammit...!" Sakura looked at him in shock, as he began to speak. "I am so sorry, Sakura-chan...!"

The blonde wept, as he gritted his teeth. "I put you in danger, because of my fucking recklessness... I nearly got you killed...!" The tears ran down his face at a greater rate. The advice that Sasuke had given him had washed away as the guilt just piled up. "I don't deserve a shred of kindness from you...! I'm just a fucking demon, after all...!"

His eyes then widened, as he felt a warm embrace coming from the pinkette. "It's not your fault, Naruto." He looked down at her in shock, as she held him softly. "You were just doing the mission, and you slipped up... It happens." When Sasuke had said it, it just felt like a pep-talk. But when Sakura was saying it... It felt soothing to him... Comforting...

She then continued. "Plus, you are NOT a demon." She looked up at him, and gave him a soft smile. "You're gentle... Kind... Caring. Hell, I saw the regret, and guilt that you had when you ruthlessly killed those sound ninja."

She stuck her finger toward him. "You are definitely not a demon... A demon wouldn't kiss a girl's forehead, after all."

Naruto looked down at her, as tears still ran down his face. He let his face rest on top of her head, as he gently returned the embrace. "...Sakura-chan."

Sakura closed her eyes, as she smiled slightly. "Hm?..."

The blonde ran his hand through her hair, as he smiled through his slowing tears. "You just keep piling on the reasons why I love you..."

Sakura's face went red at this, but she kept her composure. "Well, that's the first time I've ever heard you openly say that..."

Naruto blinked, as he backed off of her, and coughed into his fist. His face glowing red all the while.

Sakura gave him a bright smile, as her blush remained. "But, that's what I admire about you. You aren't afraid to speak your mind." She then blinked, as a thought came to her. "Oh yeah, I should properly thank you, for saving me."

Naruto's eyes widened, as the pinkette leaned up, and kissed him softly. "...Arigatou."

The blonde was speechless, as he looked at Sakura. He only nodded slowly, as he got up. "N-N-No problem..." He then rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his face heating up intensely. "I... Uh... I should let you get some rest..." The blonde quickly walked out of the tent, as the pinkette watched in amusement.

He grabbed his chest, as he quickly got into his tent, breathing slowly. "O-Okay... Why am I feeling like this?..."

_'I... I thought that because of my alternate self, some of my feelings for her would've gone away!'_

He then laid down on his sleeping mat, as he put a hand over his face.

_'Hell, I didn't even react that much when Hinata first kissed me!'_

_'Just... Just how much do I love Sakura?...'_

He didn't get to finish his thought, as he drifted off to sleep.

_**'Pain... Death... Agony...!'**_

* * *

Yay, fourth chapter done!

Now this is when things begin to get a bit dark. You'll find out why next chapter, lol.

Also, yes, touching NaruSaku moment at the end.

Laters.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto: Shippuuden, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Credit: The Keeper of Worlds, for helping put this story together.**

**Warning: Sexual themes near the end of the chapter.**

* * *

Naruto's eyes shot open from the three words that had uttered in his mind. He sat up slowly, grabbing his head, as he panted slowly. "W...What the hell was that?..."

_'It sounded nothing like Kurama... So... What was it?...'_

He looked around, and noticed he was back in the alternate world. He gave a slight yawn, and as he got up, he stumbled slightly. "H-Huh?..." His vision began to blur, as he put a hand over one of his eyes. "D-Dammit..."

He stumbled, as he slowly made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the light, and leaned against the sink as he splashed water on his face. "Come on... Keep it together..." He looked at himself in the mirror and was rather... Surprised by the dark rings that had built under his eyes, and his pupils were dulled. "Man, I look like shit..." He then walked out, grabbed himself a towel, then trudged his way back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

The now disrobed blonde stood silently, as he let the water from the shower hit him, in some hope that it would help him wake up. Unfortunately, all he could do was slide down the wall of the shower, and sit down, allowing the water to continue hitting him. He stared at the floor of the shower, trying to get his thoughts together.

_'My body is fully awake, but... Why am I still so tired?...'_

After finishing his shower, and getting dressed, he stumbled into the kitchen, and noticed a note on the fridge. "Left early for wedding preparations... See you tonight, Hinata..." He leaned against the counter, as the coffee began to brew.

He looked down at his hand. He could barely focus on it. He squinted his eyes, as he struggled to try to bring his vision back to normal. Something was clearly wrong.

_'M...Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm only asleep for like a minute before I transition to the next world?...'_

He shook his head, as he poured his cup of coffee, and sipped on it. "Gotta be... I mean it would make sense. My bodies are getting rest, but my mind isn't." He laughed slightly, as he finished his coffee. "Well, for now, I shouldn't have too much to worry about... Just gotta keep myself busy..." Despite him laughing it off, he knew this would become a huge problem. He knew that he would need to decide soon.

He then blinked, as he looked down at his empty cup. "Alright... Time for another one."

"Ooh God..."

Naruto stared at the files, trying to make them out. However, he just couldn't focus. "Son of a bitch...! It's so fucking hard to read when my mind is so clouded...!"

He rubbed his eyes, as he kept at it, trying to get through the files. His eyes twitched, as he painfully went through the files. If someone were to see him like this, it would be almost painful to watch.

_'I don't understand why I'm so tired... I mean, I've tackled being up for 3 days before...!'_

The blonde scratched his head, as he folded his arms. "Then again... It has been awhile... Plus, it was never under these circumstances..." He groaned outwardly, as he looked back down at his files. "Whatever... I need to get this stuff done..."

He then noticed Sakura walk in with more files. But he didn't pay much to it, as he looked back down. As she placed the files down, she noticed that he had a lot less finished than normal. Normally, she wouldn't converse with Naruto, but this was something she had to bring up. "Something wrong, Hokage-sama?"

The blonde blinked, then looked up at Sakura. He gave her a tired smile, as he rubbed the back of his head. "O-Oh, I'm just a bit... Out of it, you could say."

The pinkette nodded slightly, as she began to turn around. "Okay... Well, try to get some more rest."

Naruto watched as she began to leave, he looked down, as he began to start looking at the files again. But... Some part of him was holding him back... He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to settle things with her.

He wanted to stop Sakura's tears... "Oh, Sakura..."

Sakura stopped, and turned back to the blonde. "Yes?"

Naruto looked at her solemnly, as he put his pen down. "Tonight, I wish to discuss something with you... Is it alright if we discuss it at your house?"

Sakura looked at him in surprise, before nodding slowly. "A-Alright, Hokage-sama."

The blonde then gave her a slight smile. "Okay..." Before he went back to work, he gave her a tired grin. "O-Oh, could you also get me another cup of coffee?..."

The pinkette gave a shadow of a smile, as she nodded, then walked out.

As the doors shut, Naruto allowed his head to fall on to the desk, his groans muffled as he felt like hitting himself. He didn't know what side of him was the side that wanted to talk to her anymore...

_'This is why I hate having two me's in my head... I can't tell what's MY thoughts, and what's my Alternate's thoughts!'_

He then picked himself off of the desk, as he leaned back in his chair. "Doesn't help that I'm having fluctuating emotions towards her... One moment I'm fucking head over heels, the next I feel nothing but resentment..."

The blonde then sighed, as he looked down, a shadow covered his eyes. "Then again... The same could be said about Hinata... One moment I only think of her as a friend, the next I can only think of her as the woman who I'll spend the rest of my life with..."

He then grabbed his head in frustration, as he groaned loudly. "Graahhhh, all of this is giving me a headache!" He then blinked, when he started to feel a great deal of pain coming from his head. "A... Huge headache... AH!" He grabbed his head, as he leaned against the desk. He felt like someone was pounding his skull in! Not a metaphor either, given that he has experienced that kind of pain before.

He looked around, for a way to get rid of the pain. He searched through the desks, and was relieved when he found a bottle of pain killers... And... A bottle of Sake.

His eyebrows creased at this, as he stared at them both. He knew for a fact that his alternate self never drank on the job. He then felt a shot of pain go through his skull, as he instinctively picked up the bottle of pain killers. He then looked down at the bottle of Saké.

Guess he would have to make an exception this time.

He opened the medicine bottle, and popped a couple of pills into his mouth. He then poured himself a small dish of Saké, and drank the bitter liquid. He coughed roughly, as the strength of the alcohol stung his throat. He rubbed his mouth, as he looked at the drink in slight disgust. "Well, that should help... Hopefully..."

* * *

That evening, Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha. It was a slow trip to the pinkette's house. Not just because he still felt worn out, but also out of hesitance. A part of him really did not want to go through with this, and it was certainly understandable. Who knows what could happen? Maybe they'll have another falling out?

The blonde shook that idea out of his mind, not wanting to scare himself out of doing this. He then blinked, and looked over at the alcohol shop that was still open. At that moment, an idea rung in his mind. "Well... Ero-sennin always did say that alcohol was a great way to kill tension in a conversation."

Soon after, he walked out of the shop with a large bottle of Saké. He knew that this could make things worst, but he didn't have a lot of options at this point.

_'Something tells me this is going to go wrong regardless of what I do...'_

Not long after, he had finally reached the house of the pink haired Haruno, and with a gulp, he knocked on her door.

_'Please make this go smoothly... Please make this go smoothly!'_

The door opened, allowing Naruto to witness an amazing sight. It was Sakura, in an outfit much like the one she wore when they were kids. When they were kids, he had always thought she looked great in the outfit. But now... She was absolutely gorgeous in his eyes.

He then gave a slight smile. "Good evening. Thought I would bring something as a thank you." As he said this, he lifted up the bottle of alcohol slightly.

The pinkette nodded slowly, as she stepped aside, allowing him to walk in.

When he entered the living room, he looked around at every part of it. She had a nice wooden floor, subtle pink walls, and a fire-place, which was currently lit. It felt very... Cozy.

They both sat down on her couch, as she brought out two glasses. "Rather not let this go to possible waste." Naruto nodded to this, as he poured the drink into the two glasses.

The pinkette picked up her glass, and gulped down the drink, much to Naruto's surprise. Then he remembered that she WAS taught by Tsunade... The hag didn't know when to stop with alcohol sometimes. Sakura then looked at Naruto. "So, what did you come here for, Hokage-sama?"

Naruto frowned at this, as he waved his hand slightly. "Sakura, please. You don't need to keep the titles up when we aren't working."

She looked at him hesitantly, then nodded slowly. "Okay... N-Naruto." She said it as though the name was foreign to her. Clearly, it had been a while since she last spoke his name, rather than his title.

Naruto looked down at his cup, he noticed his hands were shaking slightly. It was either his body reacting to the sheer amount of caffeine that he has had, or he was just nervous as fuck. He drank the entire glass of Saké, and wiped his mouth.

_'Okay... Now or never...'_

He turned to Sakura, and took a breath. "I ran into Ino yesterday..."

The pinkette took notice to this, as she looked at him in surprise. "Oh... Really?"

Naruto just stared at her, as he sighed lowly. "She told me... That you felt guilty?"

Her eyes only widened after that, as she stared at the ground. She then bit her lower lip, as a shadow covered her eyes. She then poured herself another glass, and drank the whole thing. "...Yes... I do feel guilty."

Naruto put his glass down, as he refilled it. He then picked it up, and swigged it down. "Why?... You chose to lie to me... To use my love for you against me..."

Sakura was visibly shaken by this. She began to tremble, as she gritted her teeth. "Naruto..."

He looked to the side, pain could be seen on his face. "You betrayed my trust... I have never felt so hurt and lonely before in my entire lif-"

"I AM SO SORRY!"

The blonde's eyes widened greatly, when Sakura embraced him and cried roughly into his chest. She trembled, as she buried her face into his chest, and cried harder than she had ever cried before. "I never should have done that to you! I only wanted you to give up that god damned promise! I didn't want to see you get yourself killed!"

She gripped on to his shirt, as her tears flowed at a greater rate. "But the way I went about it was wrong... I knew it was wrong, but I thought I didn't have any other choice...!"

Naruto looked in shock, as she looked up at him. He had never seen such an agonized look on someone's face. "I understand if you hate me...! You have every right to, after what I put you through...!"

She then put her face against his chest again, as she wept even more. "Just... Please know that I am so sorry...! I am so sorry...!"

Naruto just stared at her, as she kept apologizing to him over and over. He then closed his eyes, and wrapped his arms around her. "I don't hate you, Sakura..."

Sakura's eyes opened at this in shock, as she looked up at him. He gave her a slight smile. "I was angry... For a long time... I was also hurt... But... Nothing you do, could ever make me hate you."

He then decided to do something daring, but he did so, to show that he truly meant it. He gave her a light kiss on the forehead. "I forgive you..."

The pinkette could only stare at him. Her face was red, not just from her crying, but also from the kiss he had given her. He then gave her a smile, as he poured himself another glass of Sake. He chugged it down. When he looked back, he saw that she was still staring at him. He could only laugh at this, as he poured her another glass of Sake. "You gonna keep staring at me? Or are you gonna drink?"

His question snapped the pinkette out of her thoughts, as she looked down shyly at the glass. She then picked it up, and chugged the drink down.

It wasn't a half hour later of comfortable silence, before the two were heavily buzzed. Sakura looked at the blonde, and laughed slightly, causing him to glance at her. "What is it?"

She shook her head, as she looked down. "It's just that... What you did earlier... It reminded me of something that happened a long time ago..." The blonde raised an eyebrow to this, as the pinkette sighed slightly. "Back when we first became part of team 7... When I still liked Sasuke-kun... I was sitting alone on a bench, when he approached me, and told me that I had a charming forehead..."

She laughed after saying that, as she took another sip of her Sake. "I always had such a problem with my forehead when I was a kid... But because he complimented me, that's what got me for so long..." The pinkette gave Naruto a toothy grin, as she put her glass down. "Pathetic, isn't it?..."

The blonde shook his head. "No. It isn't. Because you do have a beautiful forehead." Both their eyes widened, the moment he said that.

_'W-Why did I just say that?...'_

Sakura blinked at this, as she thought more about what Sasuke had said. "H...He also said 'but that's something only Naruto would say.'..." Her pupils shrunk, as everything began to piece itself together. She then looked at him. "It was you, wasn't it?..."

Naruto looked to the side, as his face went a bit red. He gave a slow nod. "H-Hai... I henged as Sasuke, so I could find out why you liked him... Kind of back fired."

Sakura looked down, as she put her hand over her face. She began to laugh, as she closed her eyes. "I tried so hard to push it aside... Now that you're with Hinata... But... After knowing that it was you... that you were the one who I should have started liking way back when... I can't hide it anymore..."

She turned to him, as her face was flushed completely. Her lower lip quivered, as she uttered out the four words that Naruto had both longed, and feared to hear. "I love you, Naruto..."

Naruto was... Frozen by this. He didn't know whether to be happy, or... Guilty. Whether to engulf her in his arms, or to deny her. He then looked down, as he bit his lip. "You know... It's weird... Despite everything that has happened between us... Despite how long I was hurt from what happened... Being with you now, has made me realize that..."

_'Wait... Wait what am I saying? S-STOP! DON'T SAY IT! NOT HERE!'_

"I love you too, Sakura..."

Sakura could only stare at him, before smiling, and wrapping her arms around her. "I'm so happy..." Both were too intoxicated to make proper judgment. They were acting purely on instinct, over logic.

Naruto put his finger under her chin, and lifted her head so she would be looking at him. They stared into each other's eyes. Both showed signs of longing for the other. They slowly began to lean in toward each other.

_'Wait...! Wait! STOP! PLEASE! I CAN'T BETRAY HINATA!'_

_**'But don't you love Sakura?...'**_

_'E-Eh?... O... Of course I do... But-!'_

_**'Then why hold back? Why not give into your desires? Is there something wrong with holding the woman you love?'**_

_'I...I.. I guess not... Bu-!'_

_**'Then why hesitate?'**_

_'Because I'm with Hinata! I can't betray her!'_

_**'But you have already, haven't you? Regardless of which world you are in, you have already kissed the woman you truly love.'**_

_'T...Truly love?...'_

Their lips smashed together, as they kissed passionately. His arms wrapped around her waist, as her arms wrapped around his neck. They made out, as though it were their last. Naruto's eyes widened slightly, when he felt her tongue enter his mouth, and played with his. He closed his eyes, as he got into it, and frenched with his pink haired love.

_'N... No...'_

They both pulled away, panting as they pulled in much-needed air. Sakura stared at him, with lust filled eyes. She brought his hand to her chest, more specifically, her zipper, as she helped him unzip her front.

_'Please... Stop!...'_

_**'Give into your desires! You want to be with her... Don't deny what you truly wish for!'**_

_'But it's wrong...! I can't do this to Hinata!'_

_**'GIVE IN!'**_

Clothes began to get torn off, as their lust continued. Naruto at this point, realized that he had lost control... Whatever this was, it had him...

He tried to stop it... He begged for it to stop... But he felt powerless... Helpless, as whatever this was, took advantage of its control.

_'No...! Please...!'_

Sakura positioned herself over the blonde, and allowed him to enter her.

_'__NOOOOOOOOO!__'_

Once it had ended, and the pinkette was sleeping in his arms. All Naruto could do, was cry softly into his hand.

_'I am so sorry... Hinata...!'_

* * *

Well... That happened. Lol.

Okay, I think I've fufilled my dark quota. Hope you guys liked it.

Laters.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto: Shippuuden, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Credit: The Keeper of Worlds, for helping put this story together.**

* * *

Naruto's eyes shot open, as he sat up. He panted slowly, as he looked down at his trembling hands. "W-What the... W-Why did...? H-How did...?"

His eyes widened, as a realization occurred to him.

_'S-Sakura-chan...!'_

He looked to the side of himself, and realized that he was not in the alternate world. His hand moved toward the area, almost believing that it was a trick. He subconsciously felt the air, as he stared at the ground with empty eyes.

He fell back on his mat, and stared at the ceiling of the tent. He felt heavy... hurt. The burden of his guilt was almost overwhelming. He wanted to talk to someone about it... But he had no one in this world.

Kurama wouldn't speak to him, and he sure as hell couldn't tell anyone here about his inter-dimensional travels. He would end up in a mental institution for sure!

He closed his eyes tightly, as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

_'This is... I know Kurama said it wouldn't be easy, but...'_

As his eyes were closed, an image of Sakura laying over him appeared in his mind, and immediately after, an image of a crying heart-broken Hinata.

His eyes opened at this in shock, as he sighed lowly. "God dammit..."

_'What I did... I can never take back. As much as I want to... I can't...'_

He then looked down, as he bit his lip.

_'And to make it even worse... I'm going to have to watch, as Hinata's world comes crashing down... She doesn't deserve that... No one does...'_

"Yo, Dobe."

Naruto blinked, and sat up as he saw Sasuke looking into his tent. "You gonna sleep all day? Or are you gonna enjoy your day off?"

The blonde sighed, as he got up, and trudged out of his tent. "Fine..."

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow to this, as he caught up to the distraught blonde. "What's wrong now? Still feeling guilty over the thing with Sakura?"

Naruto laughed slightly, as he closed his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me, asshole. No, in fact... Something else is bothering me."

The raven haired jounin folded his arms, as he looked on in confusion. "Alright, what is it then?"

A solemn look appeared on Naruto's features, as he looked at Sasuke. He knew he would have to lie. "Well... It's weird, but when I went to go talk to Sakura-chan after our conversation, she... Kissed me."

He noticed Sasuke's surprised expression, then ran his hand through his hair in mock-frustration. "Now, I'm more confused than ever! I got no idea what's going through her mind!"

Sasuke just stared at the blonde for a minute, before sighing, as he leaned against a tree. "Well, ever thought of talking to her about it?"

Naruto looked at the Uchiha, and shook his head. "Not particularly... She said it was a way of thanking me, but... It seemed like there was more to it than that."

The Uchiha laughed slightly, as he looked up. "Well, at least you're not totally stupid."

"HEY!"

Sasuke looked back at Naruto, and shrugged. "My advice for you, is to talk to her. Stop with this beating around the bush, or hopelessly waiting. You have to take action, otherwise, you may never find out."

Naruto looked at Sasuke in surprise, but smiled, as he sat against a tree. "Alright... Thanks, man. You always seem to know what to say."

The Uchiha gave a smirk, as he turned away. "What can I say? I _am_ amazing." He then walked off, leaving a rolling eye blonde behind.

Naruto's smiling face fell once Sasuke had walked away. He stared at the back of his comrade, and couldn't help but drift to the memories of his alternate past.

In that world, they didn't make up... They didn't become brothers. He walked away, with Sasuke's blood on his hands.

_'__**Maybe you should have killed him, too...**__'_

Naruto's eyes widened greatly, as he looked up and around. His eyes trembled, as he recognised the voice perpetrating his mind. "That voice again..." The blonde grabbed his head in pain, as he closed his eyes tightly.

_'Go away...'_

_'__**Why?... He wronged you. He tried to kill you, and your loved one several times over! You only forgave him for Sakura's sake! His death should be by your hand.**__'_

The blonde huddled up, as he gripped his head tightly. If one were to see him, he would've looked like he was in great pain.

_'Stop it! I don't want this! Sasuke's my friend! My brother! I could never kill him!'_

_'__**You know you want him to die... He tried to take away your happiness, don't you remember? When Sakura loved him? When he tried to kill her, with the very kunai meant for him?**'_

_'I... I remember those times... B-But...'_

_'**He**** doesn't deserve your kindness! He doesn't deserve anything but death from you!**__'_

_'**Do you want him to take your happiness away from you again? Do you want him to take away everything good from your life? He already said he wants to be Hokage, you want to hand him over the girl too? If not, then kill him!**'_

_'SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT!'_

_'...Leave...'_

_'__**No...**__'_

_'LEAVE!'_

Naruto's eyes opened, as he panted slowly. He wiped his forehead, and saw his hand was covered in sweat.

Tears slowly ran down Naruto's face, as he felt pain surge through him. Not just from the excruciating head ache he now had, but from all the painful memories that were brought back up... The loneliness he felt because of them.

Then he remembered how that voice caused him to betray Hinata, causing him to put his hand over his face, as he cried softly to himself.

"Naruto..."

The blonde's eyes widened, as he looked up to see Kakashi looking at him sadly. The blonde looked to the side, grimacing as he wiped his tears. "What is it, sensei?..."

The gray-haired ANBU captain sat down next to Naruto. It was a long moment of silence, before Kakashi began to speak. "It's Sakura, isn't it?"

Naruto looked down, not sure on how to answer. Granted, it wasn't entirely the truth, but she certainly was part of it. So, he gave a slow nod.

He then allowed his emotions to escape his lips. "I don't know what to do..."

He grabbed his head, as his eyes twitched. "I haven't been so confused before in my life... Sakura-chan kissed me... But I don't know what it means... And I don't want to get hurt again."

Kakashi's eye widened at this, as he looked down, remembering back to that painful time, when Sakura lied to the blonde about her feelings. "... She really hurt you then, didn't she?... Way back when in the Iron country?"

Naruto nodded slowly, as he closed his eyes. "I was able to look past it, because of everything that was happening... I was able to forgive her, but..."

He took a breath, as he bit his lip. "The truth is... I felt so alone after that... More than I ever had before." He then looked up, as his eyes closed slightly from the sun. "And with this... I don't know what to think. But, I don't want to get my hopes up, only to get hurt again..."

Kakashi sighed lowly, as he looked at the blonde in concern. He wasn't sure what to say at this point. So, all he did, was pat Naruto's shoulder. The latter looking at him in surprise. Kakashi then gave him an eye smile. "I know that you're afraid... Of rejection, of loneliness... All of that. But... You know better than I do, that you shouldn't give up..."

Kakashi proceeded to stand up, and began to walk away. "Sometimes... Even things that seem impossible to get... Are worth fighting, and struggling for."

Naruto's eyes slowly widened, as Kakashi's words rung in his mind. He then looked down, as the shock sat in him for a while.

_'Worth... Fighting for, huh?...'_

* * *

Soon, Naruto found himself standing in front of Sakura's tent. He then closed his eyes, shaking his head, as nervousness filled his being.

_'Come on, Naruto... You can do this... It's just a conversation. Plus... She's heard you confess to her before! All that this'll be, is asking how she feels...'_

He then sighed, as he hung his head.

_'I hope it goes well...'_

He slowly opened the entrance to the tent, to find the pinkette reading, while resting in bed. His mouth quivered, as he tried to speak. After a couple of seconds, he forced it out. "S-Sakura-chan?..."

Sakura blinked, as she was knocked away from her book, and looked up to see the blonde. "Oh, hey Naruto." She closed the book, and put it away, as she gave a smile. "Come in."

Naruto nodded slowly, as he stepped into the tent, and sat down next to her. He looked down nervously, as he didn't know where to start. He was completely frozen.

"Naruto?"

He blinked, as he looked at the pinkette, who laughed slightly at his nervous look. "Well, something serious has gotta be on your mind. I've never seen you like this before."

The blonde could only nod, as sweat began to rush from his forehead. The pinkette gave him a calm smile, as she put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You can talk to me about anything. You don't need to be nervous."

His face instantly went red from her touch, but it helped him calm down. He gulped slightly, as he looked to the side. "W-Well... What I wanted to talk to you about was..." He then coughed nervously into his fist.

"A-About that kiss..."

Sakura's calm expression, instantly went to one of surprise. At the same time, a tint of red began to appear on her face. Naruto, too embarrassed to look at her, continued. "I... I know you said it was a way to thank me, but... I dunno, it felt like more than that..."

He swallowed nervously, as he turned to her, and took a breath. "S-So... What I wanted to ask was... What do you think of me?..."

Sakura's eyes widened at this, as her already tinted face, darkened, as she looked to the side. "W-Well... I can see why you were nervous... Wasn't expecting that." She scratched the side of her face, blushing all the while. "Well... Um... I..."

After about a minute of stuttering, she sighed lowly, trying to calm herself down. She then looked over at him. "Naruto... I care about you... A lot, actually..."

The blonde looked at her in shock, who looked down nervously. "I...It took awhile for me to really think it through, but it was only a little while ago that I actually realized it... That I like you, of course."

Naruto was... Shocked, at the very least, almost to the point of disbelief. He looked down, then back at her. "You... Like me?" Granted, he had heard the same thing from the Sakura in the other world, but this... This was the Sakura he fell head over heels for.

Sakura nodded slowly, but then had a pained expression. "Yes, I do... And, I know you might hate me for this, but... I'm just... Not ready for anything to happen between us yet." She bit her lip as she looked down. "I know that you've been waiting to here me say that, but I just... I just can't handle a relationship right now."

She closed her eyes, expecting him to be furious with her. She knew how long he had loved her, and how long he patiently waited for something that could have possibly never happened. Anyone would be angry if they were rejected by the very person who said they liked them.

Naruto continued to stare at her, before giving a kind smile. "Sakura-chan... I'm just happy to hear that you care about me, like I care for you..." He then gave her a hug. "Take all the time you need... I can wait."

Sakura looked at him in shock, as she shook her head. "Honestly... It makes me wonder how no other girl seems to like you... So nice it makes me feel guilty for making you wait." Despite saying this, she gave him a small smile.

The blonde looked outside, and saw that the sun was beginning to set. He felt his heart drop as he saw this, but put a smile back on his face, as he looked back at the pinkette. "Well... I should let you get some sleep."

With that, he kissed her forehead, leaving the now flushed pinkette behind.

As he walked back to his tent, a frown formed on Naruto's face.

_'I don't want to go back... I don't want to see the faces of the lives I'm going to ruin...'_

_'__**Just tell them... They're going to find out anyway...**__'_

The blonde sighed, as he laid on his mat, and began to close his eyes.

_'Like I have a choice...?'_

* * *

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, it's done.

Now we got a sad chapter, with a couple of nice bits here and there. I hope I got the feels right! Lol.

Next chapter, we go back to dark stuff... Lol.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

The blonde's eyes opened fully, as he looked around. He was still in Sakura's house.

_'Great... Still at the scene of the crime.'_

He then felt the warmth of something, causing him to look down. His eyes widened, and his blood ran cold, despite the warmth that was being generated. He was still in the arms of the pinkette he had an affair with.

His eyebrow twitched, when he felt... Everything else about her.

_'She... Is really holding me tight.'_

He slowly, but surely got out of her grip, making sure not to wake her up. Once he was safe from her grasp, he quickly put on his clothes, and teleported to his office out of panic.

He panted slowly, as he leaned against his desk. "Fuck me..."

_'What a way to start this fucking atrocious day.'_

He got up fully, and was about to go to the phone, but stumbled, when he felt all the energy in him vanish. "W-What the...?" The blonde looked down at his trembling hand, and saw how... Blurry his vision was. He could barely make anything out on his hand.

Naruto grimaced, as he made his way to his chair, and sat in it, sighing loudly. "Well... Shit."

_'__**Having trouble...?**__'_

The blonde growled, as he turned himself to look out the window, the sun had yet to rise.

_'I am in NO mood to talk to you... Whatever you are.'_

_'__**Come now, you knew that this was going to happen... The moment you allowed me to take control, you should have expected this to follow.**__'_

That brought Naruto's anger to dangerously high levels, as he punched his desk, leaving a large crack in the wood.

_'ALLOWED you? Don't start talking bull shit towards me! I didn't let you do anything! YOU TOOK CONTROL OF ME!'_

_'__**You sure about that?...**__'_

The blonde's eyes widened slightly, as he stared at the roof absently.

_'W-What do you...?'_

He then jumped, when he heard the phone ring. He quickly picked it up, and heard a panicked voice on the other side.

_"N-Naruto-kun?"_

Naruto grimaced, as he recognized the voice, but hid any guilt that was boiling over. "Hey, Hinata... It's me." Before she could say anything, he interrupted her. "I'm sorry that I didn't come home... I was swamped with work, and had to stay for the night."

_"O-Oh..."_

He then gave a fake smile, despite her not being able to see it. "When I'm done... I-I'll come with you to your Father's, to help plan for the wedding, okay?"

_"Alright... I'm glad you're alright, Naruto-kun."_

He then nodded, then gave a fake groan. "Well, back to work... Bye."

_"Bye."_

The blonde hung up the phone, as he gritted his teeth. He slumped back into his chair, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

_'I'm the worst...'_

* * *

He spent the next few hours to himself, trying to work on filing the documents. His vision wouldn't allow him to, though.

He wiped sweat from his forehead, as he worked at the blurry papers in front of him.

_'Shit... I can only tell that there are words on these documents... I just can't fuckin read them!'_

He rubbed his eyes, as he felt his head ache grow stronger. "Well... Now I'm pretty sure it's a migraine... Fucking. Awesome."

"Naruto?..."

The blonde's eyes shrunk slightly, as he looked up to see a kind of blurry pinkette step into the room. He coughed lightly into his fist, as he looked down at the documents. "Good morning, Sakura-chan..."

She walked over to his desk, and looked to the side hesitantly. "G-Good morning..."

The room was filled with a tense atmosphere. Neither would say a word after that, mainly because they didn't know _what_ to say. Naruto knew from this, that Sakura remembered everything, which only made it worse.

_'My god this is awkward...'_

"U-Um... Naruto."

The blonde looked up at her, with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

The pinkette looked down, attempting to get her thoughts together. Naruto was barely able to, but he managed to see what expression was on her face. Reluctance, and guilt.

Sakura then took a breath, then continued. "A-About last night..." Before Naruto said anything, the pinkette continued. "I think it would be best if we forgot about it..."

That caught Naruto off guard, as he looked at her in surprise.

_'U-Um... Easier said than done.'_

She then looked to the side. "I know it's too late to say this, but... It wouldn't be fair to Hinata." She then gave a pain filled smile. "I already had my chance... And I blew it."

Naruto grimaced at this, as he looked down.

"There's something else, as well..." Naruto blinked when he heard something placed down on the desk. He heard her take a breath. "I-I'm... I'm resigning from my position as your assistant."

The blonde's eyes widened at this, as he looked at Sakura. "What...?"

Sakura bit her lip, as she turned away. "I just... The temptation would be too much..." She then looked back at the blonde with a teary eyed smile. "And... I want you and Hinata to be happy."

As she began to walk away, Naruto stood up. "W-Wait... You don't have to do this, Sakura." He then forced a slight smile on his face. "We... We can still be friends, can't we?..." He then looked down, a shadow hung over his eyes, as he gritted his teeth.

"I can't lose you from my life..."

Sakura's eyes widened at this, as she looked to the side. Tears began to run down her face, as her lip quivered. She gasped slightly, as she shook her head. "I can't... Even if you say that... My feelings won't just go away. And I will not take you away from Hinata..."

"...Goodbye, Naruto..."

He could only watch, as Sakura opened the door, and walked out, forever leaving his life.

He sat back in his seat, his eyes still widened, as his mind attempted to process what just happened.

_'...She's gone...'_

Naruto looked down, and was surprised when he felt tears run down his face. He closed his eyes, and cried softly into his hand.

_'Why am I so upset...? I have Hinata... We'll be happy...!'_

_'__**Except you betrayed her when you slept with Sakura.**__'_

The blonde ignored the voice this time, and kept to himself, weeping silently. Even when he had everything...

He felt so alone.

* * *

Once evening came around, the blonde walked through the streets of Konoha.

He stared emptily at the ground, not even noticing the waves that he was getting from the villagers he would pass by.

It was once again, one of those times that he really got to think. Especially if he wanted to get his mind off of Sakura.

_'...When I look back at the memories of my alternate self... Yeah, I got everything... The title, the girl, the acknowledgment... But...'_

He then sits on a bench, grimacing as he stared at the ground. His mind flashed back to images of the past.

_'I dunno... Something about it just feels... Wrong.'_

The blonde put his face in his hand, as he began to think about it more. The more he thought about it, though... The worse he felt.

_'Why does all of this feel so wrong...?'_

His eyes widened, as he thought back to the time that Hiashi gave his blessing to Naruto and Hinata. He didn't notice it at the time, given that it was just the one version of himself, but there was... Something...

_"Hokage-sama? Hinata, what's going on?"_

_Hinata had a blush on her face, as she looked at the nervous as all hell Naruto, then back toward her Father. "W-Well, Father... Y-You know how Naruto-kun and I have been seeing each other for a while now?..."_

_She then held the blonde's hand, to calm herself down. "W-Well, he proposed to me..."_

_Hiashi looked in shock, then gave a small smile toward the two. He narrowed his eyes toward the blonde subtly, then went back to closing his eyes. "Is that right?... Well, if it's my blessing that you're looking for, you have more than earned it."_

_Naruto smiled, as he walked over to Hiashi, and shook his hand. "Thank you, Hiashi-san. This means a lot..."_

The blonde frowned, as he stared at the ground, the cool breeze blowing gently through his hair. "Doesn't surprise me that my alternate self didn't pick up on that... Too in love with Hinata for his own good..." His eyes closed slightly, as he pondered on it more.

_'But... Why did he give me that look...?'_

"Naruto?"

The blonde was knocked out of his thoughts, as he looked up toward the source of his interrupter. Who he saw, shocked him to the core. "Neji?..."

The black-haired Hyuuga nodded, as he gave a shadow of a smile. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

Naruto nodded to this, as he sat up. "Yeah."

_'Neji... You're dead in my world... It's so good to see you again.'_

Neji sat down next to the blonde, and rested his arms on his lap. "So, how's being Hokage?"

The blonde shrugged, as he looked down, his face being hidden by the night. "It's alright... Stressful, but... Alright."

Neji didn't look at Naruto, he simply grunted. "I see."

It was a long silence after that, before Naruto finally spoke up. "Say, Neji... We're friends, right?..."

This took the Hyuuga by surprise, as he turned to the blonde. "Yes, of course."

Naruto looked over at Neji, his face being completely solemn. "Alright... Because, I want to know something..." He then took a breath. "Back when I first got Hiashi-san's blessing to get married to Hinata... I saw a look in his eye. A look that, I know all too well..."

His eyes then narrowed, as he continued. "If he gave me that look... Does he really want me to be with Hinata?"

Neji looked at the blonde in surprise, before sighing, and looking down. "Well... It may not be easy for you to hear this, but..."

"It's a yes and no..."

Naruto raised an eyebrow to this, as he blinked. "H-Huh?..."

The black-haired Hyuuga looked to the side, as he grimaced slightly. "The yes... Is because of something I overheard from a conversation Hiashi-sama had with a Hyuuga elder."

He then looks at Naruto, his look growing more and more solemn. "He wants to use your marriage with Hinata, as a way to not only gain publicity for the clan... But to also increase in strength."

Naruto's eyes widened slowly, as Neji sighed lowly. "If you think about it, it makes sense... The Hyuuga heiress marrying the Rokudaime... They have a direct connection to you now... A perfect way to grab power, and make us practically untouchable."

As Naruto heard this, his anger and frustration only grew. "So they were just using me..." He then blinked, as he looked back at Neji. "So, the no is..."

"If this had nothing to do with your title... He wouldn't have given you a second thought." Naruto stared out toward the darkness in shock, as Neji looked to the side. After a long while, Neji looked back at him. "I... I'm sorry, Naruto."

Naruto waved him off, as he gave an empty smile. "It's alright, Neji... I'm glad you told me." He then stood up, his smile turning into a scowl, as he began to walk away.

Neji stood up, as he looked at the blonde. "Wait... What are you going to do?"

The blonde didn't look back, he just kept going, until he was veiled by the night. "My job as the Hokage..."

* * *

Hiashi was sitting at his desk, reading through files, with only a table lamp giving him any sort of light.

He looked up, when he heard his window open. He glanced over, and sighed. "Whoever you are... You're rather bold to sneak into the home of the leader of the Hyuuga clan."

He then stood up, swiftly turning to face his intruder. "Show yourself!"

"Sorry, Hiashi... I just didn't feel like disturbing your clan at this hour."

The Hyuuga leader's eyes fully opened, as the man walked out of the darkness. "N-Naruto?"

The blonde frowned at Hiashi, as he grunted. "That's Hokage-sama to you..."

This took Hiashi by surprise, but he only nodded slowly "O-Of course, Hokage-sama." He then stood up fully, and folded his arms. "So, how can I help this most... Unexpected visit?"

The Rokudaime's eyes narrowed, as he walked forward. "Don't bull shit with me, Hiashi... I know _everything_."

Hiashi looked at Naruto in surprise, but only smiled calmly. "Oh? Do you now?"

The blonde folded his arms, as he glared at Hiashi. "You are using me and your daughter to grab power... All to make your fucking clan untouchable."

Hiashi laughed slightly, as he shook his head. "Well, you really did figure it out... Almost."

His smile, slowly faded as he folded his arms behind his back. "You are right. I am just using you..." His eyes narrowed, as he stared down the blonde. "You are weak... A spineless Hokage with no true vision."

He then chuckled, as his arms fell to his sides. "Giving the people a say? Giving them a chance to make a difference? Please... We both know that the strong are who survive... And the weak are cut loose..." He then scowled. "Why do you think the council is set up the way it is? Only the strong have a seat in the council! We are the ones who direct Konoha!"

Naruto growled, as he clenched his fists. "I knew you were a piece of work, Hiashi... So you were going to use that power grab, as a way to control the village? Use my position as a way to control the people?"

Hiashi clapped slowly to the blonde. "Well well, you're smarter than I give you credit for 'Hokage-sama'. Let's just call it a... 'brighter future' for the people of Konohagakure."

Hiashi then blinked, when he heard a laugh coming from the blonde. "What is it?"

Naruto smirked, as he folded his arms. "Oh, it's just funny... You're much dumber than I gave you credit for... You just gave me a full confession to a hostile takeover." As he said this, three ANBU appeared behind the blonde.

One of them looked toward the Rokudaime. "What is your order, Hokage-sama?"

Naruto's eyes sharpened, as he glanced toward the ANBU. "Arrest Hyuuga Hiashi, for his... Treasonous plans."

Hiashi's eyes widened, as he was suddenly forced to his knees. He growled, not just toward the blonde, but also toward his own stupidity.

The blonde leaned toward the Hyuuga, and showed a face lacking emotion. "You'll also love this next part... You'll have the weight of a heart-broken girl on your conscious... I hope you'll be able to handle that kind of burden."

Hiashi stared in shock, as Naruto turned away and walked out, scowling all the while.

_'Cause God knows I won't...'_

* * *

Naruto walked up the steps to his home slowly. He looked toward one of the windows, and saw the light on through the curtain.

_'Has she been waiting up for me?...'_

He then looked to the side, thinking about it for a moment.

_'Right... I did sort of blow her off with the wedding preparations...'_

The blonde shook his head, as he rubbed his eye.

_'That's not what I'm here for, though... I can't get distracted now.'_

Naruto opened the door to his house, and walked in slowly. It was quiet... Unsettling. The blonde decided to call out. "Hinata?..."

The house was silent for a moment, before he got an answer. "I'm in here... Naruto-kun." The blonde walked into his bedroom and found Hinata, sitting on the bed, staring down toward the floor.

The blonde sighed lowly, as he closed the door. "I'm guessing this has to do with the fact that I didn't show up like I said I would?..."

Hinata kept looking down at the floor. She wouldn't say a word to him, as she kept looking down. Naruto sat down next to the Hyuuga heiress, as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Hinata, talk to me."

She slowly picked her head up, and began to mumble. "...We barely..."

The blonde raised a brow, as he could barely pick up what she had said. "Huh?..."

Hinata looked toward him, and the blonde was shocked, to see tears running down her face. "We barely see each other anymore...!" She then looked back down, her hands trembling. "It's not just what happened today... I have barely seen you at all in the last three days...!"

Naruto looked to the side, biting his lip. "I know..."

She then stood up, and turned to him. "What's been going on...? Why is it that you always come home late now?... Or even not come home at all?... You never had this problem before!"

_'I... I didn't realize this was effecting her so badly...'_

Naruto let out a breath, as he looked down. He wouldn't dare to look Hinata in the eye. "H-Hinata... I..."

"It's Sakura-san, isn't it...?"

The blonde's eyes widened slightly, as he looked up at the crying Hyuuga. She looked to the side, biting her lip. "Naruto-kun... You have moved on, right?..."

Naruto looked down, still shocked by what Hinata had asked. "I..."

"H-Huh?" He then blinked, when he was pushed down on to the bed, with Hinata laying over him.

She gave him a tearful smile, as she put her forehead against his. "Naruto-kun... I love you... And I will do whatever it takes, to prove it to you..."

The blonde's pupils shrunk at this, as she leaned in to give him a deep kiss.

_'W-What the hell...? H-Hinata wouldn't do this...! Is she seriously getting that desperate...?'_

He closed his eyes, as he began to get into the kiss. He then blinked, as he began to snap himself out of his trance.

_'N-No...! I came here for a reason!'_

Naruto quickly pushed Hinata back, looking down. "N-No..."

Hinata looked at the blonde in shock, as he had a pained look on his face. "I... I can't do this, Hinata..."

Tears began to run down Hinata's face once again, as she feared what he would say next. "W-Why can't you...? W-We're engaged, right?..."

Naruto stood up, as he shut his eyes tightly.

"Because, I don't love you, Hinata..."

Hinata's eyes widened greatly, as tears ran down her face at a greater rate. The blonde looked to the side, biting his lip. "All this time... I have been running from myself..."

He put his hand over his face, as he grimaced. "I am so pathetic... I used you without even knowing it... As a way to run from my past... My feelings for Sakura..."

He let his hands fall to his sides, as he looked at Hinata. "I wanted to hate her... For so long I did... And I wanted to be with you, but... I can't."

He then laughed pathetically toward himself. "Because I can't hide what I truly feel... Even after everything that has happened... I still love Sakura."

His eyes closed slightly, as he turned, and walked to the door. "I'm truly sorry, Hinata... For using you, and... For not realizing all of this... Until _after_ I betrayed you."

Hinata froze at this, as the blonde walked out, feeling utterly disgusted with himself.

As he walked toward the front door, he heard the cries from the Hyuuga, causing him to grimace.

With that, he walked out, forever leaving Hinata's life.

_'I truly am... The worst.'_

* * *

Woot. Ended the chapter on a heavy note. Well! Only (two, maybe three) chapters to go! We're coming to the end, folks!

Laters.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Credit: To the Keeper of Worlds, for helping put this story together. (Double credit, since I forgot to put it in the previous chapter. Lol)**

* * *

Naruto's eyes slowly opened, as he lazily glanced around his tent. He sat up, and allowed his head to hang, as he stared at the ground.

If one were to look at him at that moment, they would think he was the living embodiment of death. His eyes were hollow, his skin was pale, he had bags under his eyes, and he gave an empty stare.

He groaned slightly, as he put his hand to his head. He swayed slightly, as he felt the room spin around him. "Well... Shit..."

_'__**Well, aren't you the energetic one?**__'_

Naruto barely scoffed, as he slowly got up.

_'So you're mocking me now?... For everything YOU caused?'_

_'__**Why do you keep saying that?**__'_

The blonde blinked, as he looked up absently.

_'H-Huh?...'_

_'__**You this... You that... Why are you blaming ME?**__'_

_'What... What do you mean?'_

_'__**Why are you blaming me? When you should be blaming yourself.**__'_

Naruto gritted his teeth, as he finished getting dressed, and stormed out of his tent.

_'I don't want to hear this!'_

_'__**You sure? It's a great story.**__'_

_'Stop it! You're just trying to mess with me!'_

_'__**Oh really? Is it my fault that you slept with Sakura? Is it my fault that you broke Hinata's heart? I didn't do anything. It was all your decisions.**__'_

Naruto shook his head violently, as he looked down.

_'No! I wouldn't betray Hinata! I wouldn't break her heart!'_

_'__**A little too late to be saying that, isn't it?**__'_

_'SHUT UP!'_

The blonde panted, as he grabbed his head. He felt beads of sweat run down his face, as he looked down. The voice had left his mind... For the moment.

He leaned against a tree, trying to catch his breath.

"Uzumaki-san?"

The blonde blinked, then looked over to see a nurse walk over. He instantly recomposed himself, as he looked at her. "Yes?"

She pointed toward the pinkette's tent, as she looked at the blonde. "Haruno-san wishes to see you."

Naruto nodded, and gave his thanks to the nurse as he walked over to the tent.

"Sakura-chan?"

His eyes widened slightly when he saw her trying to get out of bed, and rushed to her side.

Sakura laughed, as she closed her eyes. "Naruto, I'm fine."

Naruto looked at her in worry, which caused the pinkette to sigh. "Look... I just wanted to get some fresh air."

She then gave him a smile. "I also wanted to hang out with you. Is that not okay?"

The blonde blinked, as he stopped for a moment. "Wait... Is that why you called for me?"

She sat up fully, as she looked at the blonde. "Mhm. Only way to get your attention, right?"

Naruto chuckled slightly, then shook his head as he helped her up. "Okay, okay... Just... Don't be afraid to ask for help, okay?"

The pinkette nodded, as she took his hand. "Okay."

Naruto noticed this, then smiled slightly, as the two walked out of the tent.

* * *

They both walked slowly through a field, enjoying the nice breeze.

They were both rather quiet, but it didn't really matter. It was a pleasant silence, and all that they really needed was each others company.

Naruto looked on calmly, gazing out toward the horizon. This was exactly what he needed, some quiet.

_'And with the girl I'm in love with too... Picture perfect relaxation.'_

As they walked, the pinkette looked over at Naruto, and decided to take a good look at him. She didn't notice the bags under his eyes, but she did notice the peaceful, and rather pleasant look on his face. She then let out a slight chuckle, causing the blonde to look over in confusion. "What?"

Sakura waved it off, as she looked to the side. "Well, it's kind of odd... You're so positive. Now that I think about it... You're always positive, no matter the situation, you never lose faith in others."

Naruto huffed jokingly, as he closed his eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry for being odd."

She rolled her eyes, as she looked back at him. "Oh ha ha... But seriously, though... How can you keep so much faith in others? Even if they wronged you?"

They both stopped, as they reached a lake, and sat under a tree. The blonde gave a slight smile, as he looked down. "I dunno... I guess I've always been like that."

He then rubbed the back of his head, as he laughed slightly. "Which _is_ weird if you think about it... I mean, with the childhood I had..."

Sakura frowned at this, and sighed as she looked down. "I'm sorry... It probably wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't bullied you..."

Naruto blinked at this, but could only smile, as he nudged her shoulder. "Come on, Sakura-chan. You know that I don't hold grudges."

_'At least... This part of me doesn't.'_

Sakura leaned against his shoulder, pouting slightly as she looked down. "Still... I had no reason to treat you how I did when we were children... I'm sorry."

The blonde shook his head, as he leaned back against the tree. "Well, I forgive you."

It was a long silence after that. Sakura looked up at the blonde, who had his eyes closed. She then leaned back too, relaxing as the gentle breeze kissed her cheek.

Naruto wanted to fall asleep from the relaxing atmosphere, and the warmth he felt from Sakura being by his side. But all that would happen if he did so, would be him going back to the world he didn't want to think about.

This moment, was a moment he didn't want to ruin, he didn't want to think about the things that had happened in the other world. What was happening now, being alone with the girl he loved, was all he wanted to focus on... He didn't want to lose this moment.

"Um... Naruto."

The blonde opened an eye, as he looked down at the pinkette. "Hmm?"

She fidgeted slightly, as she looked to the side. "W... Why were you so okay with waiting for me? And... I'm not just talking about when I told you that I'm not ready for a relationship yet..." She folded her arms, as she looked at him. "I mean... You've liked me for years, that much is clear... But, you continued to wait for something that may have never even happened. Why were you okay with that? Why didn't you move on from me?"

Naruto's eyes fully opened at this, as he looked up. "Why?... Well... I knew that the chances of you ever liking me were slim to none... I accepted that, you might have never liked me back... That you may have liked someone else, dated someone else... Spent the rest of your life with someone else."

He then looked at her. "I was okay with knowing that... Because, the things that seem impossible to get... Like you returning my feelings, are always worth fighting for..." He then gave a calm smile. "Because when the day comes that it happens... You'll know that it was all worth it."

The blonde's smile, then turned into a fox-like grin. "That's why I was okay with waiting for you to be ready... Because, just knowing that you care for me, like I care for you, makes the waiting worth it."

Sakura stared at Naruto wide-eyed, she didn't know what to say after that. She then laughed slightly, as she put her hand over her eyes. "Well... I wasn't expecting that one."

The blonde laughed, as he looked at her. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises."

She then let her hand fall to her side. "That being said... You said you accepted that me liking you could have potentially never happened... Would you really have been alright with me being with someone else? Like Sasuke-kun for example?"

The blonde nodded, as he looked up at the sky. "Yup."

The pinkette raised an eyebrow to this, as she turned toward him fully. "But why? If I were in your position, I'd feel horrible! And it wouldn't feel right, or fair!"

Naruto looked back at her, and gave her a solemn stare. "Because... YOUR happiness is what matters most."

Sakura blinked, as she only stared at him. "W-What...?"

The blonde folded his arms behind his head, as he shifted slightly. "Well... It's not like I wouldn't be upset, or jealous or anything... It would hurt, definitely..." He looked down for a moment, then took in a breath, then looked back at her. "But, I would still be there for you, as a friend, at the very least. Because what's important, isn't my happiness... It's yours."

The pinkette's eyes widened at this, as she continued to stare at him. She then laughed slightly, as she hunched over, allowing herself to hide from his sight.

The blonde was definitely confused, until he noticed that the sounds of laughter, turned into the sounds of a girl crying.

He quickly put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him, with tears running down her face. "S-Sakura-chan, what's wrong?"

_'Oh god oh god did I fuck up?'_

She shook her head, as she wiped her tears, which didn't mean much, as they began to flow again. "I just realized, how horrible I am..."

Sakura turned to him, sniffling slightly. "I have done so much to hurt you... I've made you put up with so much of my bull shit, yet you still love me! Most guys would have given up on me, or even beat me senseless from that kind of treatment!" She then looked down, her bottom lip quivering, as her tears flowed even more. "But... You stayed... You could have gotten any girl you wanted, thanks to that big heart of yours. Yet... You stayed, and waited for me..."

She then bit her lower lip. "Even if it meant you would never be happy, you were still okay with waiting... WHY! I don't understand why my happiness is so much more important!"

She closed her eyes tightly, to try to stop the on coming tears, and her voice grew louder. "You deserve happiness! So much more than I do...! You have had to hold the weight of the entire fucking shinobi world on your shoulders, for gods sake! And that's not even including what happened to you when you were a kid!"

Her eyes opened slowly, staring at the ground. "And even when I finally told you how I felt for you... I'm still making you wait..." She then looked up at him, noticing his shocked expression. "Why... Why can you sit there, and act as if everything I've done to you... Everything I'm still doing to you, never happened... HOW CAN YOU LOVE ME!"

Naruto stared at her, eyes widened greatly, as she finished speaking. He then sighed, as he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into a comforting embrace. He felt her jump in surprise, but he didn't care. "Sakura-chan... I can forgive you, because I love you too damn much..." He then backed away, but still kept his hands on her shoulders.

He then gave a sad smile. "And, as for the reason I can love you... Well..." He then gave her a light kiss on his forehead. "You're the one who has been by my side this entire time. Whether you realize it yourself, or not. I mean, for the longest time, it was just a crush... But, as I got to know you, as we became friends, comrades, partners... I got to see more about you... And I know now..."

He then gave a slight smirk. "That you're a strong, stubborn, caring woman. Who can be a bit of a brute at times, but that's not exactly a bad thing. Plus, you know how to have fun." His smirk turned into his trademark fox-like grin, as he finished speaking.

"To me, you are perfect in every way."

Sakura stared at the blonde in shock, as that last sentence echoed in her mind. Her face went a bit red, as she put her head against his chest.

Naruto blinked at this, but gave a slight smile, as he allowed her to stay there. She then began to mumble. "...You sure know how to make a girl feel special..."

The blonde laughed slightly at this, as he rubbed the back of his head. "I was just telling the truth, is all."

Sakura looked up at him, giving a sort of half-smile. "Want me to thank you for the compliment?..."

Naruto blinked, as his arm fell to his side. "E-Eh?"

The pinkette closed her eyes, and slowly began to lean in towards him. The blonde's eyes shook, as time slowed down. She was offering to give him a kiss.

Granted, she had given him one before, but this time, he knew how she felt. He gulped slightly, before he began to lean in toward her.

He closed his eyes, and as he was but moments away from the kiss.

_'__**Mind if I cut in?**__'_

Naruto's eyes snapped open, as he pulled back, and grabbed his head. Sakura blinked as she opened her eyes, and saw Naruto's predicament. "N-Naruto?..."

He looked at her, and waved it off. "I-It's nothing... I just got a bit of a- AUGH!" He grabbed his head with both hands, and began to tremble.

_'__**So, I'm nothing, huh?**__'_

"O-Oi, Naruto..." She put a hand on his shoulder, as he trembled. "What's going on?"

_'Get out of my head...'_

_'__**Saying, I'm nothing... Telling me to leave. Pretty harsh things to say to YOURSELF.**__'_

Naruto's eyes widened, as he hunched over. "AUUGH!"

Sakura looked in shock, as the blonde writhed in pain. "Naruto!"

_'W-What're you... You are NOT ME! You can't be!'_

_'__**You sure? Well, I guess you wouldn't understand... You are too insane to realize it yourself.**__'_

_'__**You created me. As a crutch for your insanity.**__'_

Naruto's eyes instantly went empty, as his hands fell to his side. He then fell to the ground, his eye twitching, as his consciousness began to fade.

"NARUTOOO!"

* * *

FUCKING FINALLY! Yeah, the reason this took me so long, was because of laziness, and school... FUCK!

Anywho, two chapters to go!

Laters.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

**Credit: The Keeper of Worlds, for helping put this story together.**

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes, as he sat up, gasping for air. "W-What the fuck just...?" He grabbed his head, feeling it throb painfully.

"S-Sorry, Sakura-chan, I just-" He looked over in shock to see that Sakura wasn't there. To be specific, nothing was there.

He looked around, seeing he was sitting in the black void. His eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness, as he looked down. "So, I'm back here, huh?..."

"**That's correct, Naruto.**"

Naruto's eyes widened, as he looked over to see a large fox walk over to him from the shadows. "Kurama!" He then looked around. "Where's Kyuubi?..."

The blonde couldn't see Kurama's face, but he heard the fox growl. "**Not here... He became a part of me not long after you left.**"

The blonde rubbed his eyes as he looked around. "It's even darker than before... I can't even see your face." He then looked back up at Kurama. "Why... Is it so dark?"

Kurama sat down, staring down the blonde. "**Why are you asking me that?... You know the answer.**"

Naruto looked down, not sure what to say in response. "I... I do?..."

_"__**Of course, you do.**__"_

The blonde looked over in shock, to see a silhouette standing in the distance. The only thing Naruto could make out, was a demonic red aura surrounding it.

He turned back to Kurama, his eyes completely widened. "W-What _is_ that, Kurama...?"

Kurama grunted, as he looked at the silhouette, as it walked closer to them. "**You shouldn't be playing dumb, Kit... You know better than I do, who that is.**"

"**He's you.**"

Once the figure got closer, Naruto was finally able to make him out. It was him, when he was sixteen. The only difference being, his hair was a bit more wild, and his eyes were black with yellow pupils. The figure sighed, as he shook his head. _"__**It's kind of sad that he's still acting like this, I mean I told him just before you brought him here...**__"_

The blonde stepped back, trembling as he looked at himself, wide-eyed. "N-No... You are _NOT_ me!"

The figure looked at himself, then chuckled lowly. _"__**You sure? I sure look like it, and feel like it...**__"_

Kurama looked down at the trembling blonde, his eyes showing no emotion. "**Naruto... You know why he's here...**"

He then looked up at Kurama, his eyes still widened. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about! This fucker just showed up right before I..." He was frozen in place, as looked down, biting his lip.

"Before I had the affair with Sakura-chan..."

The figure ran a hand through his hair, letting out a low whistle. _"__**Yup. That was a doozy.**__"_

Naruto's eyes sharpened, as he turned toward the figure. "SHUT UP! It was your fault this all happened to begin with!"

Both Kurama and the figure looked at Naruto in confusion, before the figure scoffed. _"__**Man... He seriously isn't getting it.**__"_

Kurama shook his head, as he looked at the figure. "**Doesn't surprise me that he wouldn't... He wasn't aware of anything that happened...**"

The figure then smirked, as he walked toward Naruto. _"__**Remember when I said that you created me? Well, it's true...**__" _His eyes widened, as he gave a crazed grin. _"__**You made me! You are the reason why I'm here!**__"_

Naruto grabbed his head, as he looked down. "No! I couldn't have..."

The figure only cackled at Naruto's rejections. _"__**Of course you could have! You created me, before your insanity could overtake you... In the very back of your mind, you knew... You knew that it was only a matter of time before you would be driven past your breaking point, and fall to insanity!**__" _He then narrowed his eyes. _"__**So, you made me... As a crutch. Something to lean on, if things went to far, you would hold me responsible!**__"_

Naruto's pupils shrank, as he looked back at the figure. "N-No... You don't mean..."

The figure grabbed Naruto by his shoulders, smirking all the while. _"__**I'm glad to see that you're finally catching on! The murders, the affair with Sakura, breaking Hinata's heart, all of it! YOU DID THEM ALL OF YOUR OWN VOLITION!**__"_

Time had practically frozen for the blonde, as he stared at the figure in utter horror. Tears began to run down the blonde's face, as he trembled in shock.

_"__**Well, I'll leave the rest to you, Kurama!**__" _With that, the figure vanished into the darkness, laughing all the while.

Naruto fell to his knees, trembling as tears ran down his face, then hit the ground. "I... I would never... I could never..."

Kurama looked down at the grief-stricken blonde, and sighed lowly. "**Naruto...**"

The blonde turned toward the fox. "Y...Yea- AH!" He got a hit to the side by Kurama's large tail, sending him skidding along the floor.

Once he stopped, he looked up at the fox. "W-What the hell was that for!"

Kurama growled, as he glared down at Naruto. "**I've had enough...**" The blonde only stared, causing the fox to get even more aggravated. "**I am SICK of you wallowing in your own FUCKING PITY!**"

His eyes narrowed, piercing the blonde's soul. "**You messed up... People. Make. MISTAKES! Normally, I'd agree that you would never do things like that. But, you weren't exactly yourself, now were you!**" He then shook his head. "**It doesn't matter how much you tell yourself you would never do that... You will still have to live with the guilt of your actions, for the rest of your life...**"

His tails swayed, as the blonde stayed silent. "**Even when you pick the world, you won't remember why, but you'll know the consequences of such actions... In a way, this will help better yourself.**"

Naruto looked down, eyes widened. "W...What am I... Supposed to do then?..."

The blonde jumped, when Kurama's tails slammed against the ground. "**YOU MUST CHOOSE!**" He bared his teeth, as he roared in anger. "**You think this is supposed to be easy? A choice that will completely change your life, and destroy another? IT'S NOT EASY! And rather than taking this seriously, you are acting like a FUCKING CHILD BY ATTEMPTING TO PUSH AWAY YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES!**"

Naruto stared at the large fox, not sure what to say. "I..."

Kurama sat down, as his anger subsided. "**...I will give you some time to think things over... If you choose a world, you must give me your reasons for it... But, I have one warning.**" His eyes began to glow, as he gritted his teeth. "**If you choose a world that you made fewer mistakes in, like pressing a fucking reset button for your mistakes, and that being your reason... Then I will kill you, for you would most certainly NOT be the Uzumaki Naruto that I've grown to respect... No, you would be a rat... And rats need to be disposed of.**"

Naruto stayed silent, then gave a slow nod as Kurama turned away, and walked into the shadows. Naruto stared down at the floor, as he was alone in the darkness.

He thought about everything he had experience up until this point. The lives he had destroyed.

_'Those men, who were only doing what they were told...'_

He then closed his eyes, as he bit his lip.

_'Hinata... That same worlds Sakura-chan...'_

The blonde clenched his fists, as he punched the ground. "DAMMIT! WHY IS THIS SO HARD!" He then closed his eyes, as he gritted his teeth. "I know that I love Sakura-chan! That much is clear! But... Why am I so hesitant on giving up the other world!"

"Because you feel as though she deserves better."

Naruto's eyes opened in shock, as he looked over. "W-Who?..."

He sees another sixteen version of himself walk out of the shadows, only... He looked exactly like how he did, rather than the figure from before. "Well, I'm you! I guess...?" He then gave a half-smile, as he tried to piece it together. "Well, more like the you from your past... It's complicated."

Naruto groaned, as he rubbed his eyes. "Did my insanity make you, too?..."

Young Naruto chuckled slightly, as he folded his arms. "Maybe."

The ANBU garbed blonde sat up, as he looked at his younger self. "So... What did you mean by that?..."

The younger blonde smiled slightly, as he looked up at the dark void around them. "I know how you feel... You feel she deserves better than you, especially after what you've done."

He then turned toward his older self, his face showing sadness. "You secretly want to stay in the other world... As self punishment, by living out your mistakes."

Naruto looked at his younger self in surprise, before looking down. He didn't like to admit it, but... "You're right... She does deserve better. So much more..." He then gave a sad smile toward the other blonde. "Why not spend the rest of my days... In the world where I fucked everything up?..."

"That's awfully selfish, don't you think?"

The blonde blinked at what his younger self said. "E-Eh?"

The Young Naruto shook his head, as he looked at his older self. "The hell are you playing at? You think you're some amazing guy, by choosing to live out the rest of your life in pain as a sort of punishment?"

The blonde looked at his younger self, wide-eyed, before looking to the side. "N-No... I just... I deserve it! Don't I?..."

The orange and black wearing blonde shrugged, as he closed his eyes. "Well, sure ya do. You fucked up pretty bad. But, just because you deserve it, that doesn't mean that those actions aren't selfish."

He then pointed toward his older self. "You're telling me that, just because you deserve punishment, that you should just give up an entire world? That's not exactly a justifiable, or understandable reason."

The sixteen year old then smiled, as he rubbed his nose. "Look at it from a true perspective... What world do you care about?... Who do you care about?... So much so, that you strived an entire life time for? So much so, that even NOW you still don't feel like you're good enough?"

The older Naruto looked at his younger self in surprise. The words that Kakashi told him began to ring in his mind.

_"Sometimes... Even things that seem impossible to get... Are worth fighting, and struggling for."_

Slowly, a smile began to build on his face, he had forgotten what it had been like to be young. "You're right..."

The young Naruto gave his fox-like grin, as he folded his arms behind his head. "Aren't I always?" With that, he faded away, leaving the blonde alone once again.

He slowly stood up, resolve burning through him again, as he turned toward the darkness. "Oi! Kurama!"

The large fox walked out of the darkness, and into the blonde's view. "**What is it?**"

Naruto smirked, as he stared down the demon. "I have your answer..."

Kurama's eyes fully opened, as he sat down. "**Ho? Very well then. Tell me, Kit.**"

The blonde shook his head, as he looked down. "It was all so clear... Everything pointed toward this decision... But I chose to ignore it."

He then looked back up at the fox. "I wanted to run away... Rather than truly face my problems, or learn to live with them... I just wanted to use them, as a way to not face the truth..."

"I don't deserve anything."

Kurama raised an eyebrow to this, he wasn't expecting to hear this at all. "**Oh?**"

The blonde nodded, as he looked toward the black void. "Yeah... Sakura-chan... The title of Hokage, the acknowledgement... All of it." A small smile then crept up on his face. "But, that doesn't mean that I can't fight for it..."

Kurama looked down at the boy in surprise, as Naruto's smile got slightly bigger. "My alternate self may have everything I could possibly desire, but... He didn't truly earn any of it... He didn't grow into the shinobi you, or anyone could truly respect."

Naruto then put his hand to his chest. "I haven't either... But I'm not about to just give up! I'm not about to act like a child for not getting the things I've yearned my entire life for!"

Kurama growled, as his tails swayed. "**Oh yeah? You sure?**"

Naruto then laughed. "You know me well enough, I've worked my entire life for those things... Hell, I fought in a WAR and I still don't think I'm ready!"

He then looked down sadly. "I'm not the man that Konohagakure needs yet... I'm not the man who Sakura-chan deserves yet..." The blonde then looked back at Kurama, determination in his eyes. "If I have to work and strive for the rest of my life, then so be it... As long as I know that I tried, it'll all be worth it!"

Naruto then uttered one last sentence. "I choose Sakura-chan..."

Kurama stared at Naruto, rather surprised by the answer that was given to him. He then sighed, as he smirked toward the boy. "**I see...**" A glow began to surround them, as the darkness, slowly turned to light.

"**Good answer, Kit...**"

* * *

So many feels in this chapter!

Well, this is it guys! One more chapter to go, the Epilogue!

Laters.


	11. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, his body feeling heavy, and weak. He slowly looked around, as his blurry vision began to clear. He was in a hospital room.

_'W-What?... Why am I?...'_

He then felt something warm. He looked over to find Sakura sleeping at his bedside, grasping his hand.

The blonde couldn't help but smile toward her, then a thought occurred to him.

_'Wait... How long have I been out for?'_

"Mnn... Naruto?..."

Naruto looked back toward the pinkette, after looking around the room again, to see her slowly waking up. Sakura rubbed her eye, then noticed him awake. "Naruto!"

She quickly wrapped him in a big hug, as the blonde laughed slightly. "Good to see you too, Sakura-chan."

Sakura backed off, and looked at him in frustration. She then whacked him on the head. "Baka!"

Naruto flinched from the hit, as Sakura's frustration, started to turn into tears. "The doctors said that... That you went into a sleep deprived coma!" The blonde's eyes widened, as Sakura grasped his hands tightly. "I... It's been weeks, baka! I didn't know if you were going to wake up or not...!"

The blonde looked in shock, as Sakura bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. He then gave a small smile, as he wrapped his arms around her, and held her in a comforting embrace. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you like that, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette trembled, but only gave a silent nod. As Naruto let go of her, a thought occurred to him.

_'Wait... I was sleep deprived?'_

He then looked over at Sakura, then back down. It was rather quiet for a long while, before the blonde began to speak. "Sakura-chan..."

The pinkette blinked, and looked over at Naruto. "Yeah?"

Naruto glanced over at her, his cerulean eyes staring into her emerald eyes. "I'm sorry..."

Sakura raised an eyebrow to this, before smiling. "If it's about before, you already apologized-"

"-I'm sorry, for not being good enough..."

The pinkette's eyes fully opened at this. "Eh?..."

Naruto propped his head against the back board of his bed, as he looked up at the ceiling. "Remember when I said that, anything is worth fighting for?... Like obtaining your affections?"

Sakura gave a silent nod, as the blonde sighed lowly. "Well, as I fought for that... I also fought against myself in a way... Because I'm not good enough."

He turned to the pinkette, as he sat up. "I'm not deserving of your affections. You deserve the best, and only the best... And what am I?" He then shook his head. "Anything but..."

Naruto then gave a small, yet sad smile. "I've strived day after day... To better myself, to hopefully one day, become the man who you deserve..."

He then looked down, biting down on his lip. "But... Even when I try to do so... I don't think I'll ever be good enough... Because as I said... You deserve the best..."

Sakura was rather... Stunned, by what Naruto had told her. She then looked down, as a shadow covered her eyes. She trembled slowly, as she raised her fist. "Ba..."

"BAKA!"

Naruto flinched, ready to take the hit. It didn't come, though. He looked over to find her, with her fist ready to hit something, sitting there, with tears streaming down her face. "You dummy... You big dummy..."

Her arm fell to her side, as she trembled, and her bottom lip quivered. "Y-You really think so lowly of yourself?..." She wiped her tears, but more came anyways. *Sniff* "N-Naruto... The reason why I said I wasn't ready, is because..."

More tears came, as she looked at him. "Is because YOU deserve the best!" Naruto stared at the crying girl in shock, as she kept crying into her hands. "You are kind, caring, funny, and selfless! You'd be ready to take a bullet if it meant protecting me...!"

Sakura bit her lip, as he looked down. "Any girl would be lucky to have you... You could have any girl you want... But you still chose me! Out of all the girls you could have chosen that you deserve, I'm the worst of them all!" She then put her hand over her mouth. "I don't deserve your feelings... I never did..."

She shut her eyes tightly, as she shook her head. "I'm no good for you, Naruto...! As much as I try to tell myself otherwise, I can't deny that I'm nothing but a-" Her eyes open in shock, as she felt something press against her lips.

Her pupils shrunk, as she found Naruto, giving her a kiss. He broke it off, as he looked at the gobsmacked girl. "Sakura-chan... Never say that you aren't good enough." He wrapped his arms around the pinkette, who looked at his arms then back to him. "Because as I told you... To me, you are perfect..."

With that he leaned in, and gave her a long and loving kiss. At first, Sakura tried to get out of his grip, but eventually, she gave in. She closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss in full.

They soon broke the kiss, panting as they pressed their foreheads against each other. They stared into each others eyes, as Naruto's trademark fox-like grin, appeared on his features.

"I love you, Sakura-chan."

The pinkette rolled her eyes, as she smiled as well. "Baka... I love you too."

_There are many universes. Some similar, and others that are completely different. This was the story about how a man, Uzumaki Naruto, through his will, and his love pushed through the seemingly impossible obstacles that reality itself placed in front of him._

_He fought an impossible thing, and in the end, he prevailed._

_This is the story of Worlds Crashing Together. And this, is how it ends._

* * *

It's over. My god it's over.

I'm gonna miss this story, but all things must end at some point.

To those who stuck around with this clusterfuck of a story, I thank you. It has been a fun ride.

Later.


End file.
